BULLETIN OF TIBETOLOGY ,
1994
SPECIAL VOLUME ON THE HISTORY OF BUDDHIST LOGIC
NEW SERIES
25 November, 1994 Sikkim Research Institute ofTibetology
Gangtok, Sikkim
No.3
The Bulletin of Tibetology seeks to serve the specialist as well as the general reader with an interest in this field of study. The moti/, portraying the Stupa in the mountains suggests on the dimensions of the field.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Chief Editor': Tashi Tobden, Director
MEMBERS
Bhajagovinda Ghosh Acharya Samtan Gyatso
Dr. Rigzin Ngodub Dr. Suman G. Tenzin
BULLETIN OF TIBETOLOGY
1994
SPECIAL VOLUME ON THE HISTORY OF BUDDHIST LOGIC
NEW SERIES
25 November, 1994 Sikkim Research Institute ofTibeto]ogy
Gangtok, Sikkim
No.3
SHING KHYI/LHABAB DUSCHEN 25 NOVEMBER, 1994
Price: Rs. 6u/-
7196 Printed at Himalindia Photo Offset, Nam Nang, Gangtok, Sikkim
Published by the Director, Sikkim Research Institute of Tlbetology Gangtok - 737 101. Sikkim
Contents
1. A Short History of Buddhist Logic in Tibet
- Dr. Sanjit Kumar Sadhukhan
2. Notes and Topics Note on the Biography of Lha-Btsun Nam-mkha 'Jigs-Med (1597-1650 AD)
- Dr. Rigzin Ngodub Dokham
Page
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57
CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE:
DR. SANJIT KUMAR SADHUKHAN, M.A., Ph. D. Made critical study in Brahmanic and Buddhist Logic, passed certificate in ,TIbetan, Calcutta University. Compiled Descriptive Catalogue of Tibetan Mss., xylograph, at National Library and Calcutta University, specialised on Buddhist Logic. Working on reconstruction of Buddhist logical text Pramana-viniscaya from its extant Tibetan version. Presently working in West Bengal Govt. Press, Alipore, Calcutta.
DR. RIGZIN NGODUB DOKHAM Studied Buddhist Philosophy in Sikkim Institute of Higher Nyingmapa Studies (Shed a), Gangtok, obtained Acharya Degree from the Institute of Sampurnanand Sanskrit Viswavidhyalaya, Varanasi, and Ph.D from International Indo-Tibetan Nyingmapa Buddhist Cultural Preservation society, Santiniketan for p.is dissertation entitled "A study on the Significance of Tantric ritual objects and Mandala". Presently working in the SRIT as Research Officer.
Views expressed in the Bulletin of Tibetology are tOOse of the contributors and not of the Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology. An article represents the private individual views of the autOOr and does not reflect those of any office or Institution with which the author may be associated. The editors are the publishers of the articles(s); copyright of an article belongs to the autOOr, unless otherwise indicated.
Preface
Perhaps it is no exagger~tjon that Tibet occupies a distinct place in the academic world regarding the practice and Culture of the Buddhist logic. India where it first orginated in the 5th century A.D. practically with the advent of Dignaga, could not retain her glory in this field from the 13th century onward· i.e; immediately after the fall of the Vikramasila Mahavihara. Culture took a back seat and unfortunately "a large portion of logical literature in its original form appears to have been lost for ever. But Tibet, being one of the neighbouring countries which received Indian thought, preserved the lost literature in translation. The study on the subject was carried on ·more or less continuously in different monasteries of the country for centuries, and even now Buddhist logic is extensively practised among the Tibetans. As a result of continuity of rich culture in this field, a good number of original treatises and commentaries were also composed in Tibet.
So, on the one hand these translations of the Indian logical works are the treasure house with the help of which the gap in the history of philosophical movement in andent India can be filled and as the excellence of Indian understanding on the subject can be properly assessed; and on the other hand, the original Tibetan treatises and commentaries are of immense value as they record of the contribution of that country to the storehouse of world knowledge. Scholars like Dr. S.c.
. Vidyabhusana, Rahula Sankrityayana, Dr. M.K. Ganguli (the teacher and guide of the present writer). A. Vostrik~ J. Tucci, B. Baradiin, B. Vassiliev, E.E. Obermiller, Prof Oberhammer, Prof. E.Franwallner, F.Th. Stcherbatsky, E.Steikellner and a number of excellent Japanese scholars and some others realised the importance of Tibetan commentaries and their study (md research works sufficiently enriched the subject matter in many ways.
The present writer, while preparing a detailed catalogue of the Tibetan xylographs and manuscripts in the S.c. Das Collection preserved in the Calcutta University, got the opportunity of having a first-hand knowledge of a good number of Tibetan texts of Buddhist logic, which aroused in the writer the long suppressed wish to write an informative account on the subject. The present paper is a result of that.
The writer now takes the opportunity to remember those persons from whom he benefited in some way or the other. He is grateful to his Tibetan teacher Ven.A.P.Lama from whom he received many valuable information about Tibet. The eminent scholar Prof Anantalal Thakur always inspired the writer in this field and the writer will never forget the help received from him in this regard.
Last of all, the writer is glad to know that a complete issue of the Bulletin of Tibetology is dedicated to his paper. He gives credit to Director Dr. Lama. T.D. Bhutia M.A. B.Ed. M.Phil. Phd. and Assistant Director Mr. Bhajagobinda Ghosh of the SRIT for their deep interest in this matter. The writer expresses his gratitude also to the Authority of the Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology without whose help the whole thing could not have been completed in such a nice way.
Calcutta 22.11.94 Sanjit K. Sadhulchan
A SHORT HISTORY OF BUDDIDST LOGIC IN TIBET
- Dr. Sanjit Kumar Sadhukhan
I. Rise of Buddhist logic in TIbet
By Buddhist logic we understand a system of logic and epistemology
created in India in the VI-Vll-th century A.D. by two great luminaries of
Buddhist science, the Masters Dignaga and Dharmakriti. The original treatises
and the huge commentaries in the line are part of the Buddhist logical
literature. Bu'ddhist logic obviously contains the forms and nature of
syllogism, the essence of judgement, etc. for which it deserves the name of
logic. But that logic is not only logic it also establishes the doctrines of the Buddhists. Thus the philosophical tenets were the fulcrum and the logic developed as tools to establish those. That is wh~ when a theory of sense
perception o~ more precisel~ a theory on the part of pure sensation in the whole content of our knowledge, a theory on the reliability of our knowledge
and on the reality of the external world 'as cognized by us in sensation and
images, a theory on the art of conducting philosophic disputations in public,
and so on are discussed, at the same time those keep faithful to the ideas with which Buddhism started with apprehension that entities whose existence is not sufficiently warranted by the laws of logic can mercilessly be repudiated. So having been led by this thought, Buddhist logic denied a God, it denied
the Soul, it denie.d Eternity. It admitted nothing but the transient flow of
7
evanescent events and their final eternal quiescence in nirvana. Reality
according to Buddhists is kinetic, not static, but logic, on the other hand,
imagines a reality stabilized in concepts and names. The ultimate aim of
Buddhist logic is to explain the relation between a moving reality and the static constructions of thought. It is opposed to the logic of the Realists, the logic of the schools of Nyaya, Vaisesika and Mimamsa for whom reality is static and adequate to the concepts of our knowledge. (1)
Anywa~ it is evident that the simple revealations of Buddhism and
the reasonings in support of those, gave birth to a new subject 'Buddhist logic'. In the literature of about seven centuries from 5th to 11th century,
Buddhist logic showed examples of erudition of its scholars in the field of
ideological conflict. But there was no such background of ideological conflict behind its rise in TIbet, although it had to establish its superiority on the soil of TIbet in competition with its Chinese counterpart.
TIbet, a neighbouring country ofIndia was steeped in ignorance before
the seventh century, without even an alphabetic system of their language.
Sron-btsan sgam-po (7th cen.), the first TIbetan kil}g, united different warring
nomad groups and made TIbet a powerful kingdom with territorial sover
eignty. This king keenly felt the deficiency of learning of the TIbetan people in contrast with the Indian and Chinese poeple, and promised them a good number of studying arrangements and materials. He established relations with India and China and sent scholars to India to innovate TIbetan script,
collect manuscripts and translate them. He also encouraged more and more
people in this connection. As a result of that the work began and the
migration of Indian literature caused Buddhist logic to step in in the Land
of Snow by the middle of the eighth century.
Khri-sron lde'u-btsan (740-c. 798) became the king of TIbet in 754 AD. He invited many Indian panditas to his own country to spread the doctrine. At his invitation, Santaraksita, known in TIbet as the HBodhisattva Abbot" reached there. He was a great Buddhist logician and had already composed
8.
his great work on Buddhist logic, Tattvasarpgraha before he reached TIbet.
At his inspiration the king Khri-sron·lde'u-btsan in c. 779 A.? built the
famous Bsam-yas monastery, the first one of its kind in TIbet. Santara~ita
was also accompanied by his disciple Kamalasfla who was no less erudite
than his preceptor in Buddhist logic.
Now there followed a surge of activity in the translation of Indian and
Chinese Buddhist texts into TIbetan. A keen interest in doctrine began to
develop, and this culminated in the great debate held at Bsam-yas about
792 A.D. as to whether Indian or Chinese Teachings should be followed.
The Indian side, represented in this debate, argued the conventional
Mahayana teachings connected with the theory of the gradual course of a
'~ould-be buddha' (bodhisattva) towards buddhahood. The basis of these teachings was the assumption that it was unnecessary to accumulate vast quantities of knowledge and merit through innumerable ages, if one wished
to progress towards the final goal of buddhahood. The Chinese case
concentrated upon the absolute nature of buddhahood, which could be
realised by any practitioner who established himself in the'state of com
plete repose. According to this, conventional morality and intellectual
endeavour are irrelevant, and in some cases even directly harmful, if they
obstruct the pure contemplation of the emptiness of all concepts whatsoever.
The verdict in the present case went to the Indian school, and contem
porary dossiers show that it was a victory for a moralistic view skillfully
defended by the Indian scholar KamalasiIa who had been specially invited
for the occasion.<2) This incident worked to directly influence TIbetans to
follow of Buddhist logic in favour of Bu'ddhistic path. Apart from this, it is
natural that when at the moment the TIbetans adopted Buddhism Buddhist
logic sneaked into the intellectual world since logic is already wound up with the life of the auddhists in their homeland .
. Santara~ita is seen not only for the doctrine in TIbet, but also to have
left mark from which we may call Santaraksita the introducer of Buddhist
9
logic by virtue of his active assistance with a TIbetan interpreter named
Bhik~u Dharmasoka in translation work of an Indian logical text
HetucakraQ.amaru (Gtan-tshigs-kyi 'khor-Io gtan-Ia dbab-pa, Tg. mdo xcv
9. 189a7-190a4) of Dignga (Phyogs-kyi glan-po).
The surge of activities of the Indian panditas and the Tibetan interpreters, which started from the 7th century, was not always unhindered.
In the 9th century an unfortunate disaster came to the life of the TIbetan
nation when Glan-dar-ma (b. c. 803) succeeded to the throne of TIbet in c.
836 and tried to expunge the Buddhist culture from TIbet. As a result,
monasteries were destroyed, a large number of Buddhist manuscripts burnt,
many monks killed and many fled in fear of life etc. Buddhist Study was
completely stopped. But after the assassination (in 842 A.D.) of this tyrant king, the situation returned to nomlal.
It was the revivalism of Buddhist TIbet in all spheres of life, with the
arrival of Atisa, the great Buddhist scholar from Bengal, in 1042. The work
on the translation of the Buddhist texts and study thereon started in a fresh.
At this time the TIbetan scholars came into close contact with the Kashmiri
logicians. According to a famous Tibetan historian 'Gos lo-tsa-ba (1392-
1481), the eleventh century was the beginning of the spread of the teaching
of logic, which became established in the region of Dbus and Gtsan of TIbet,
with the activities of the famous TIbetan interpreter named Rma lo-tsa-ba Dge-ba'i blo-gros (1044-1089).(3)
In this way, Buddhist logic went on to be studied in different
monasteries. But a new dimension in the overall idea about the subject was
given by Sa-skya paI).(~ita Kun-dga' rgyal-mtshan (1182-1251) who
maintained that logic was an utterly profane science, containing nothing
Buddhistic at all, just like medicine or mathematics like. He established Buddhist logic in that way. The celebrated historian Bu-ston Rin-chen-grub (1290-1365) shared the same opinionJ4) But Dge-lugs-pa or Yellow sect that
was founded by the celebrated reformer of TIbet, Tson-kha-pa (1357-1419)
10
and is predominant now, rejected these views and acknowledged Buddhist
logic (of Dharmakfrti) as a foundation of Buddhism as a religion.(S) From
the very time of Tson-kha-pa, Buddhist logic rose in TIbet as a constituent
part of the religious practice of the people.
II. Indian works on Buddhist logic translated into nbetan
It is well-known that the basic literature of TIbet is the translation of
the Indian texts. In the 8th century and later in the 11 th and the 12th centuries,
a great number of works on Buddhist logic, written by Indian logicians
were translated into TIbetan. In the work of translating, the enthusiastic
TIbetan scholar-interpreters of different comers of TIbet engaged themselves
at work year after year with the help of the Indian panditas in India and TIbet. In this way, so vast amount of literature on this subject was gradually
built up and this, in fact, stands heavier and richer than Indian Literature at
present, because a good number of the invaluable texts have not come down
to us in original.
Within the 11th century almost all the excellent and ordinary treatises
were composed in India and from time to time the manuscripts of those works reached TIbet through the hands of the TIbetan scholars who came to India from TIbet and returned, and also through the hands of the Indian panditas who visited TIbet at the invitation of the TIbetan kings. Some
times, the TIbetan scholars came to India, translated the text and carried
only the translated version with them. Kashmir, an Indian state adjacent to
TIbet was an ideal place of work for the TIbetans for a much longer period
than other places of India.
The Buddhist logicians whose works were translated into TIbetan are
the following: Dignaga (Phyogs-glait), Dharmakirti (Chos-grags), .: I "
Devendrabuddhi (Lha-dban-blo), Siikyabuddhi (Sakya-blo), Subhagupta
(Dge-sruns), Virrltadeva ('Dul-ba'i lha), Jinendrabuddhi (Rgyal-dban blo-gros), .! ~-
Santarak~ita (Zhi-ba-'tsho), Kamalasila, Dharmottara (Chos-mchog),
MuktakalaSa (Mutig bum,-pa), Arca!a alias Dharmak.aradatta (Chos-'byuri
byin), Prajnakaragupta (Ses-rab 'bYUIi.-gnas sbas-pa), Jitari (Dgra-Ias rgyal-
11
ba), Jina (Rgyal-ba-can), Ravigupta (Nl-ma sbas-pa), Ratnavajra (Rin-chen
rdo-Ije), Jnanasrimitra, JnanaSrlbhadra (Ye-ses-dpal bzan-po), Ratnikarasanti " "
(Santi-pa), Yaman, SaJ!1karananda (Bde-byed dga' -ba), and Molq;akaragupta
(Thar-pa'i 'byun-gnas sbas-pa). (I) With the translation of numerous texts of
the above logicians "the TIbetan literature stored each and every topic of logical discussion which took several centuries to come up in India. Following are the names of the interpreters and their translated works:
1. Bhi~u Dharmasoka (8th cen.): This scholar has translated the
Hetucakra«;famaru (Gtan-tshigs-kyi 'khor-Io gtan-Ia dbab-pa, Tg mdo xcv , 9. 189a7 -190a4) of Dignaga, with the help of the Indian logician Santara~ita,·
widely known by the name "Bodhisattva Abbot" in TIbet.
The work deals with all nine possible relations between the reason and what is to be proved and has founded that there are among them two relations which conform to the three characteristics of the reason and the remaining seven relations are at variance with those characteristics.
2. Zhu-chen dpal-brtsegs-ralq;ita (9th cen.): He was a native of Zhu
chen and was a TIbetan official interpreter. Following are the names of the
works translated by him:
(a) Hetubindu (Gtan-tshigs-kyi thigs-pa, Tg mdo xcv 13. 337a8-357a3) of Dharmakriti. Translated with the help of the Indian pandita Praj'liavarman. It is a treatise on logical reasons.
(b) Hetubindu-tiki (Gtan-tshigs-kyi thigs-pa rgya-cher I grel-ba, Tg mdo
cd 5. 123b8-223b6) of Vinitadeva. Translated with the assistance of the above
Indian pandita. It is a commentary on the above work
(c) Santanantara-siddhi (Rgyud-gzhan grub-pa, Tg mdoxcv 17. 400a7-404b3) of Dharmaldrti. Translated with the assistance of the Indian pandita Visuddhasbpha. It is a treatise on the reality of other minds, directed against solipsism.
12
(d) Sanhinantarasiddhi-tilGi (Rgyud-gzhan grub-pa'i 'grel-b~ad, Tg
mdo cviii 1. 1-21b2) of Vinftadeva. Translated with the assistance of
Visuddhas~ha. It is a commentary on the above work
(e) Nyayabindu-piirvapa~a-sa~~ipti (Rigs-pa'i thigs-pa'i phyogs sna-ma mdor-bsdus-pa, Tg mdo cxi 3. 113al-122b6) of Kamalaslla. Translated with the assistance of Visuddhasin)ha. It is a treatise on the prima
facie arguments against the Buddhist logic.
(f) Alambana-pari~a-tikci (Dmigs-pa brtag-paT grel-bsad, Tg mdo cxii
5. 183a7-197b7) of Vinitadeva. Translated with the assistance of the Indian
pandita Sakyasiqtha. It is a commentary on Dignaga's Alambanapadksa.
(g) Bahyarthasiddhi-karika (Phyi-rol-gyi don-grub-pa ces-bya-ba'i t;shigs-Ie'ur-byas-pa ,Tg mdo cxii 8. 199b8-207b7) of the Vaibha~ika scholar Subhagupta. Translated with the help of the Indian pandita Jinamitra. It is
a Vaibhasika treatise containing memorial verses on the reality of external . ,
objects.
3. Zhu-chen ye-ses-sde (9th cen.): He translated numerous texts of
Sanskirt literature into TIbetan. Among those, Nyayabindu-tilcii (Rigs-pa'i thigs-pa rgya-cher 'grel-ba, Tg mdo cxi 1. 1-43b3) of Vinitadeva is a remarkable text on logic, which was translated by him with the help of the
Indian pandita Jinamitra. It is a commentary on Dharmakirti's Nyayabindu.
4. ~ande Nam-mkha' -skyon (9th cen.) translated Sambandha-pari~a ('Brel-pa brtag-pa, Tg mdo xcv 14. '357a3-358a7) of Dharmakriti, and
Sambandha-pari~a-tiIci ('Brel-pa brtag-pa'i rgya-cher bsad-pa, Tg mdo cxii
1. 1-26b8) of Vinitadeva, into Tibetan with the assistance of the Indian pandita Jnanagarbha. The first text is a metrical composition on the problem of relation and the second is a commentary on it.
5. Zhu-chen chos-kyi snan-ba (9th cen.) translated Nyayabindu-tlJci(2)
(Rigs-pa'i thigs-pa'i 'grel, Tg mdo cxi 2. 43b3-113al) of Dharmottara, with
13
the assistance of the Indian panditaJnanagarbha. It is a commentary on Nyayabindu of DharmaIdrti.
6. Rma lo-tsa-ba dge-ba'i blo-gros (1044-1089): He was the celebrated
interpreter (lo-tsa-ba) of Rma. Among the logical works translated by him,
was the PramcUJa-vartika (Tshad-ma roam-' grel) which got the honour of being
a fundamental text in the monasteries throughout TIbet. Acconling to 'Gos 10-tsa-ba (1392-1481), a famous TIbetan historian, the beginning of the spread of
the study of logic was assodated with Dge-ba'i blo-gros(3). His translations of
the logical texts including Dharmakilti's Pramcit)ava-virtika, its auto-comment~, and two voluminous commentaries, one by Devendrabuddhi and the other by Sakyabuddhi, show the sign of a perseverant and talented scholru: He was
munlered by poison in 1089.
He translated the following works:
(a) PramaJ}a-vartika-karika.{4) (Tshad-ma rnam-'grel tshigs-Ie'ur byas
pa, Tg mdo xcv 10. 190a4-250b6) of Dharmakirti. Translated into TIbetan • J -
with the help of the Indian pandita Subhiitisri-santi.
It is a metrical composition regarded as a classical text on Buddhist
logic. It advocates the philosophy of idealism. It has four chapters:
Svcfrthanumana (Ran-don rjes-dpag), Prama~asiddhi (Tshad-ma grub-pa),
Pratya~a (Mnon-sum) and Pararthanumana (Gzhan-don rjes-dpag). First
chapter contains the scrutiny of logical reason (hetu, gtan-tshigs), fallacy
(hetvabhasa, gtan-tshigs ltar-snan), negation (anupalabdhi, mi-dmigs-pa), . ~
concomitance (avinabhava, med-nami-'byun-ba), verbal testimony (sabda, tshig), scripture (agama gzuns-Iugs), relation (sambandha, 'brel-pa), etc. Second chapter contains scrutiny of source of valid knowledge (prama1)a,
tshad-ma), god (isvara, lba), Buddhahood, four truths (catu~ aryasatyas,
'phags-pa bden bzhi), etc. Thinl chapter contains scrutiny of perception
(pratya~a, mnon-sum), inference (anumana, rjes-su dpag-pa), negation
(anupalabdhi, mi-dmigs-pa), universal (samanya, spyi), determination of a
thing by the exclusion of its opposites (apoha, sel-ba), etc. Fourth chapter
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contains scrutiny of inference for other's sake, constituent parts of syllo
gism, etc.
The arrangement of the chapter in Pramal,la-vartika is a bit peculiar
i.e. not a traditional one. It begins with inference, goes over to the validity
of knowledge, then comes back to sense-perception which is followed by
syllogism at the close. The natural order would have been to begin with the
chapter upon the validity of knowledge and then to go over to perception,
inference and syllogism.
(b) Pramat;\a-vartika-v~tti (Tshad-ma mam-' grel- gyi 'grel-ba, Sde-dge
Tg Tshad-ma No. 4216): It is the auto-commentary of Prama~a-vartika.
Translated with the help of Subhutisri-santi.
The commentary is only on the first chapter of Pramal,la-vartika and
Dharmakirti could not comment more than this in his life-time.
(c) Vaoanyaya(5) (Rtsod-pa'i rigs-pa, Tg mdo xcv 16. 364bS-400a7) of
DharmaIdrti. Translated with the help of Jnanasri:bhadra, a Kashmirian
scholar of Buddhist logic. It is a text on the art of debate.
(d) Pramal]a-vartika-paJijikB.(6) (Tshad-ma mam-' grel-gyi. dka' -' grel, Tg
mdo xcv IS & xcvi. 404b3-535a4 and 1-390aS) of Devendrabuddhi. Trans
lated with the help of Subhu tisrl-santi. It is a commentay on DharmaIdrti's
PramalJ.a-vartika and the commentator was the personal disciple of
DharmaIdrti.
( e) PramaI!a-vartika (-panjikil)-tikB. (Tshad-ma mam-' grel-gyi I grel
bsad, Tg mdo xcvii & xcviii. 1-402aB and 1-34SaS) of Sakyabuddhi, the
disciple of Devendrabuddhi. The name of the Indian pandita is not found.
It is a commentary on Devendrabuddhi's PramaI!a-vartika-panjikci.
7. Zhu-chen TIn-ne-'dzin bzan-po (11th cen.) translatedYukti-prayoga
(Rigs-pa'i sbyor-ba, Tg mdo cxii 27. 360b8-361aS) of Ratnavajra, with the ,/ -, . ....
help of the Indian pandita Sri-subhutisanti same with SubhuUsri-santi). It
15
is a small tract on application of reasoning.
B. Khyun-po chos-kyi brtson-'grus (11th cen.): He seems to be a little
senior to Rit.og lo-tsa-ba as Rilog went to Kashmir with this interpreter and
some others. He translated Prama~a-viniscaya-tika. (Tshad-ma mam-par
nes-pa'i 'grel-bs'ad, Tg mdo ex 2. 209bB-355a6) of Jrianasrlbhadra (c.1020-
c.10BO), into TIbetan with the assistance of the author himself who also visited
TIbet. The work is a commentary on DharmaIdrti's Pramal)a-viniscaya.
9. Pa-tshab ni-ma-grags (b.1055) translated Paraloka-siddhi ('Jig-ten
pha-rol grub-pa, Tg mdo cxii 15. 264aB-267b7) of Dharmottara, with the
assistance of the Kashmiri pandita Bhavyaraja (1070). It is a treatise on the
proof of the world beyond.
10. Grags-'byor ses-rab (11th cen.): He translated Tattvasa~grahapanjika (De-kho-na-nid bsdus-pa'i dka'-'grel, Tg mdo cxiii 2 & cxiv. 159bZ-
431aB and 1-405a7) of Kamalasila, with the help of the In~ian pandita Devendrabhadra (1040). It is a beautiful commentary on Santara~ita's
Tattvasa~graha-karika.
Another work, translated by him with the help of the Indian pandita
Vinayaka, is ,K~a~abhanga-siddhi-vivaral)a (Skad-cig-ma 'jig grub-pa'i
rnam-' grel, Tg mdo xcii lB. 27BbZ-295b7) of MUktakalasa (loo0). It is a
commentary on Dharmottara's ~al)abhanga-siddhi.
11. Ritog lo-tsa-ba blo-Idan ses-rab (1 059-11 09}: According to the
famous TIbetan historian'Gos lo-tsa-ba (1392-14B1) Ritog lo-tsa-ba was the
celebrated founder of the lineage known as the 'New Nyaya' (Tshad-ma
gsar-ma) in TIbet. Up to now Khyun-po grags-se's (early 11 th century) works
were popular there and those were on 'Old Nyaya' (Tshad-ma rrrlri.-ma}.(7)
The works translated by RDog lo-tsa-ba were of Dharmottara and Prajnakara
gupta who brought a new wave in the study of Buddhist logic, and the
TIbetan scholastic world sincerely felt the existence of this new stream of
thought.
RIlog lo-tsa-ba was the son of Chos-skyabs. He was the follower of the
16
Bka' -gdams-pa school and became the abbot of the Gsari-phu ne'u-thog
monastery. In childhood he went to live with his uncle and studied much
under him and Spo-chun-ba tshul-khrims ses-rab and others. When he
was 17 (in 1076), he was sent to Kashmir for study. He went there in the company of Rva lo-tsa-ba (b. 1016), Gnan lo-tsa-ba, Khyun-po chos-kyi brtson-'gms, Rdo-ston and Btsan kha-bo-che (b. 1011/1020). When king Rtse-Ide had invited most of the Tripi~aka-dhara-s of Dbus, Gtsan and Khams, and held the religious council of 1076 A.D., he also attended it. Rtse-Ide's son Dban-phyug-lde decided to become a supporter of Rriog 10-tsa-ba. Pilog then proceeded to Kashmir where he attended on six teachers, including Sajjana and Parahitabhadra (c. 1010- c. 1090). His provisions
having come to an end he sent a letter to Mna' -ris. Dban-phyug-lde sent him again much gold and requested him to translate Prama:q.a-vartikaala:f!1kcira. He made a good translation of it.
He studied for 17 years in Kashmir and then returned to Tibet in 1092, aged 35. In TIbet he studied the Doctrine with the panditas Trikalasa Sthirapala and Sumatildrti. He visited Nepalfor a short while and heard the Tantra from Atulyavajra, Varendraruci and others. Then he again returned to TIbet and made numerous correct translations. He preached at
Lhasa, Bsam-yas, Myu-gu-sna, Grial-sgan-thogs, Gtsan-rgyan-mkhar and other places. Among his assistant preachers were 55 preachers of Ala~kara (Pramana-vartika- alamkara of Prajnakaragupta) and Pramana-viniscaya-tika (of Dharmottara), 280 expounders of Prama~a-viniscaya. He taught extensive logic, five treatises of Maitreya, the Mcidhyamika doctrine and other texts.(S) He passed away at the age of 51 in 1109 on the road in the
neighbourhood of Bsam-yas.
Following are the works translated into TIbetan by RilOg lo-tsa-ba:
(a) Nyayabindu (Rigs-pa'i thigs-pa, Tg mdo xcv 12. 329bl-337a8) of Dharmakirti. Translated with the help of the Indian pandita Parahitabhadra and others.
It is divided into three chapters, (1) Perception (Pratya~a, Mflon-sum),
(2) Inference for one's own sake {Svarthanumana, Ran-gi don-gyi rjes-su
17
dpag-pa), and (3) Inference for other's sake (Panirthanumana, Gzhan-gyi
don-gyi rjes-su dpag-pa). Nyayabindu is an ideal text narrating all the
important things' and ideas of Buddhist logic in a simple way. It contains,
apart from the definitions of perception and inference, the related theories
of mental-conception (kalpana, rtog-pa), error (bhranti, 'khrul-pa), identity
(svabhava, ran-bzhin), effect (karya, 'bras-bu), negation (anupalabdhi, mi
dmigs-pa) and its different varieties, fallacies (hetvabhasa, gtan-tshigs Itar
snan), analogues for futilities Oati, ltag-chod}, etc.
(b) Pramal)a-viniscaya (Tshad-ma mam-par nes-pa, Tg mdo xcv 11.
250b6-329b 1) of Dharmaldrti. Translated with the help of the Indian pandita
Parahitabhadra and others, in Anupamapura of Kashmir.
It is divided into three chapters, (1) Perception, (2) Inference for one's
own sake, and (3) Inference for other's sake. It is a beautiful explanatory
treatise of Dharmakfrti, covering all the necessary matters of Buddhist logic.
(c) Pramaz:t.a-viniscaya-tlka (Tshad-ma mam-nes-kyi tika, Tg mdo cix & cx 1. 1-347a8 and 1-209b8) of Dharmottara. Translated with the assis
tance of the Indian pandita Parahitabhadra (1080) and others, in
Anupamapura of Kashmir. It is a commentary on Dharmakfrti's Pramal}a-,
viniscaya.
(d) Pramana-vartika-alarpkara(9) (Tshad-ma rnam-'grel-gyi rgyan, Tg'
mdo xcix & c. 1-382a7 and 1-344a6) of Prajnakaragupta. Translated with
the help of the pandita Bhavyaraja (Skal-Idan rgyal-po) of Kashmir. Later
the translation was checked by Rllog lo-tsa-ba with the help of another Indian
pandita Sumatikirti. The text is a commentary on Pramaz:t.a-vartika of
Dharmakirti.
(e) Pramal)a-vartika-alamkara-tika (Tshad-ma mam-' grel rgyan-gyi
'grel-bsad, Tg mdo civ 2, cv, cvi & cvii. 208a7-345a8, 1-290a7, 1-436a8 and_l-
321a5) ofYamari. Translated with the help of the Indian pandita Sumatikirti
in the Siie-than monastery near Lhasa. It is a voluminous commentary on
Pramal)a-vartika-alaqtk'ara of Prajnakaragupta, which is a commentary on
18
Dharmakfrti's Pram ana" artika.
(f) PramaJ)a-pariIq;a (Tshad-ma brtag-pa, Tg mdo cxii 12. 213a4-236b1)
of Dharmottara. Name of the Indian pandita is not found. It is a treatise on
the examination of the source of valid knowledge (prama~a, tshad-ma).
(g) Apoha-nama-prakaraJ)a (Gzhan-sel-ba rab-tu byed-pa, Tg mdo
cxii 14. 252b4-264a8) of Dharmottara. Translated with the assistance of the
Indian pandita Bhavyaraja (1070), in Anupamapura of Kashmir. It is a
treatise on the determination of a thing by the exclusion of its opposites.
(h) K~al!a-bhanga-siddhi (Skad-cig-ma 'jig-pa grub-pa, Tg mdo cxii
17. 268a2-278b2) of Dhallllottara. Translated with the assistance of the Indian
pandita Bhavyaraja. It is a treatise on the momentariness of everything.
(i) A pohasiddhi (Sel,.ba grub-pa, Tg mdo cxii 20. 302b3-325a7) of
Sa~kaninanda. Translated with the help of the Kashmirian pandita
Manoratha (? Manorathanandin yvho composed an excellent Vrtti on
Pramal!a-vartika) in Anupamapura of Kashmir. It is a treatise on the deter
mination of a thing by the exclusion of its opposites.
(j) Pratibandha-siddhi ('Brel-pa grub-pa, Tg mdo cxii 21. 325a7-326b1)
of Sarrtkarananda. Translated with the help of the Kashmirian pandita
Bhavyanija. It is a treatise on the establishment of the causal relation.
12. Zha-ma Sen-ge rgyal-po (/Zha-ma sen-ge/Sen-ge rgyal-mtshan)
(11 th cen.): This famous interpreter learned the work of a translator under
Rma lo-tsa-ba (1044-1089), Rilog lo-tsa-ba (1059-1109), and others. He trans
lated some very important texts on Buddhist logic among which one that
shook the entire world of Indian logic is the PramciJ;ta-samuccaya of Dignaga.
Following are the works translated by him into TIbetan:
(a) Pramal).a-samuccaya (Tshad-ma kun-Ias btus-pa, Tg mdo xcv 1.1-
13a5) of Dignaga. Translated with the help of his collaborators, Dad-pa'i
19
ses-rab and Indian pandita Kanakavarman.
It is a revolutionary text in the field of Buddhist logic. By virtue of it, the Buddhists in India got the strength to fight against the Naiyayikas, their
main opponents, in the duel ground. It is a metrical composition and is
divided into she chapters, (1) Perception (PratyaIq;a, MilOn-sum), (2) Infer
ence for one's own sake (Svarthanumlma, Ran-don-gyi rjes-dpag), (3)
Inference for other's sake (Pa!arthanumana, Gzhan-gyi don-gyi rjes-dpag),
(4) Reason and example (Hetu-d~~anta, Gtan-tshigs dan Dpe), (5) Determination of a thing by exclusion of its opposites (Apoha, Gzhan sel-ba), and (6) Analogue Oati, Ltag-gcod).
(b) Pramat."a-samuccaya-v~tti (Tshad-ma kun-Ias btus-pa'i 'grel-ba, Tg mdo xcv 2. 13a6-93b4). Translated with the help of the Indian pandita
Vasudharara~ita. It is the auto-commentary of PramaI)a-samuccaya.
13. Dad-pa'i ses-rab (11th cen.): He was the collaborator of Zha-ma
Sen-ge rgyal-po in the work of translating Pramana-samuccaya. He seperately translated the auto-commentary (Prama~a-samuccaya-v{tti, Tshad-ma kun-Ias btus-pa'i ' grel-ba) of Pramana-samuccaya with the help
of the Indian pandita Kanakavaraman. Luckily it has got the place in Tanjur
Collection and bears tIlt? No. Tg mdo xcv 3. 93b4-177a7.
14. Dga' (? Dge)-ba'i rdo-rje (11th cen.) translated Sambandha
par~Iq;anusara ('Brel-pa brtag-pa'i rjes-su 'bran-ba, Tg mdo cxii 2. 27a6-44a3)
ofSatp.karananda, with the assistance of the Indian pandita Parahitabhadra (c.I010-c.I090). It is a commentary on DharmaIdrti's Sambandha-parlIq;a.
15. Dpal-mchog daI)-po'i rdo-rje of Sum-pa (inAmdo) (11 th cen.) trans
lated Balavatara-tarka (Byis-pa 'jug-pa'i rtog-ge. Tg mdo xcii 26. 348aI-
360b8) of Jitari, with the help of the Indian pandita NagaraIq;ita. It is an
introductory treatise on logic for the children.
16. Sakya bla-ma Zbi-ba-'od (11th cen.): He lived in Gu-ge in western
20
TIbet. He translated, with the help of the Kashmirian pandita Gu~akarasribhadra, Tattvasa~graha-k8rika, (De-kho-na-nid bsdus-pa'i tshig-Ie'ur byaspa, Tg mdo cxiii 1. 1-159b2) of Santar~ita, in Phun-tshogs-gliri monastery in Gu-ge. The text is a metrical composition and is considered a magnum
opus of the Buddhist logical literature.
17. 'Bro Sakya-'od (11th cen.): He was a native of the village of Sen
dkar in the province of "Bro. Following are the works he translated into
TIbetan:
(a) Sahavalamba-niscaya (1 Sahopalambha-niscaya) (Lhan-cig dmigspa nes-pa, Tg mdo cxii 19. 295b7-302b~) of Prajnakaragupta. Translated with the help of the Nepalese pandita Santibhadra. It is a treatise on the ascertainment of the existence of the objects simultaneously with their
knowledge.
(b) Vijrlaptimatrata-siddhi (Rnam-par rig-pa tsam-md grub-pa, Tg mdo
cxii 22. 326bl-329b6) of Ratnakarasanti. Translated with the help of the
above Nepalese pandita. It is a treatise on the existence of knowledge alone.
(c) Hetutattvopadesa (Gtan-tshigs-kyi de-kho-na-fiid bstan-pa, Tg mdo cxii 24. 335a4-343b1) of Jitan. Translated with the help of the Indian pandita Kumarakalasa. It is a treatise on the real nature of the reasons in a syllogism.
(d) Karyak1uaJ}abhava-siddhi (Rgyu dan 'bras-bu'i no-bo grub-pa,
Tg mdo cxii 29. 399a3-403a4) of Jnanasrf-mitra.<lO) Translated with th~ help
of the Indian pandita Kumarakalasa. The translation was checked by Sakya
'od with the assistance of the Nepalese pandita Ananta;ri~ It is a treatise on
the relation between cause and effect.
(e) Antarvyapti (Nan-gi khyab-pa, Tg mdo cxii 23. 329b6-335a4) of Ratnakarasanti. Translated with the a5sistance of the Indian pandita
Kumarakalasa. It is a treatise on internal inseparable connection.
(f) Vadanyaya-v!1ti vipancitartha mima (Rtsod-pa'i rigs-pa'i 'grel-pa
don rnam-par 'byed-pa zhes-bya-ba, Tg mdo cviii 2. 21b2-137a8) of
21
Sant~ra~ita. Translated with the collaborator "Phags-pa ses-rab and with
the help of the Indian pandita Kumarasrl-bhadra, in the Bsam-yas mona'stery. It is an elaborate commentary on DharmakIrti's Vadanyaya. .'
18. Zhan~zhun Byan-chub ses-rab (11th cen.) translated PramaIJavartika-ala1!lkara-lika (Tshad-ma rnam-'grel-gyi rgyan-gyi 'grel-bsad, Tg mdo ci & cii. 1-434a8 and 1-375a8) of Jina with thehelp of the great pandita
- ~-
Dipal!lkarar~ita(l1} of Vikramasila in Anupamanirabhoga vihara of Tho-
lin. It is a voluminous commentary on Pramar:ta-vartika-ala~kara of Prajnakaragupta.
"19. Pa-tshab Tshul-khrims rgyal-mtshan (12th cen.) translated Trikala
pari~a (Dus-gsum brtag-pa, Tg mdo xcv 6. 179a4-180b1) of Dig nag a, with
the help of 'he Indian pandita Santyakaragupta (b. c. 1117).<12) It is a treatise on the examination of three times.
20. Sa-skya Grags-pa rgyal-mtshap (1147-1216) was the fifth hierarch of the Sa-skya. monastery of western TIbet. He translated Nyaya-pravesa (Tshad-ma rigs-par 'jug-pa'i sgo, Tg mdo xcv 7. 180b2-184b6) of Digmiga,
with the help of the Indian pandita Sarvajnasrfra~ita, in the Sa-skya
monastery.
21. Dpan lo-tsa-ba Blo-gros brtan-pa (1276-1342) translated a magnificent commentary named Visalcimalavat{ (Yans-pa dan dri-ma med-pa ldan-pa, Tg mdo cxv. 1-355(8) of Jinendrabuddhi. The name of the Indian pandita is not found. However, D~·Ml\ lo-tsa-ba was assisted by another Tibetan scholar named Rdo-rje rgyal-mtshan (1283-1325), the tea<.:her of the famous Tibetan historian Bu-ston (1290-1364). The (ommentary is on
Dignaga's famous work Prama~a-samuccaya.
Tarkabha~a (Rtog·gc'i skad. l'g mdo cxii 28. 361a8-399a3) of
MoksJkaragupta '''as anotlWl" work which ,vas translated by him. llere also no name of the Illdidll lMndita is mentioned. It is a trecllise on the
techni('"litie~ of logiL.
A part from I hi' ,Ibo\(' work", there an' d number of very important
works on, Buddhist logic which were translated into TIbetan, but we do not
find the names either of the Indian panditas or of the TIbetan interpreters.
Those are the following:
Alambana-pari~a (Dmigs-pa brtag-pa, Tg mdo xcv 4. 177a7-177b5) of Digmiga. It is a metrical treatise on the objects of thought.
Alambana-parlk?a-'Yrtti (Dmigs-pa brtag-pa/i 'grel-pa,"Tg mdo xcv 5. 177b5-179a4) of Dignaga. It is an auto commentary on Alambana-parl~a.
Sambandha-parl~a-'Yrtti ('Brel-pa brtag-pa 'grel-ba, Tg mdo xcv 15. 358a7-364b8) of Dharmaldrti. It is an auto-commentary on Sambandha
, parlk?a.
Sarvajnasiddhi-karika (Thamsa-cad mkhyen-pa grub-pa'i tshigs-Ie'ur I
byas-pa, Tg mdo cxii 7. 198b6-199b7) of Subhagupta. It is a metrical com-position on the existence of an Omniscient being.
§ruti-pari~a-kari~ (Thos-pa brtag-pa'i tshig le'ur byas-pa, Tg mdo cxii 9. 207b7-208b5) of Subhagupta. It is a metrical composition on verbal
, '
testimony.
Anyapohavicara-karika (Gzhan sel-ba-Ia brtag-pa'i tshigle'ur byas-pa, .' ,
Tg mdo .cxii 10. 208b5-212a1) of Subhagupta. It is a metrical composition on the determination of a thing by the exclusion of its opposites.
Isvarabhanga:-kariki (Dbait-phyug 'jiy;-pa'i tshig-le'ur byas-pa, Tg mdo -- ' cxii 11. 212a2-213a3) ofSubhagupta. It is a metrical compostion on the refu-
tation of God.
Vadanyaya-fikii (f{tsod-pa'i rigs-pa'i 'grel-ba, Tg mdo cxii 3. 44a3-71a5) , .
of Vinitadeva. It is a commentary on Dharmakirti's Vadanyaya.
Hetubindu-vivarana{t3) (Gtan-tshigs thigs-pa'i 'grel-ba, Tg mdo cxi 6. . -223b7-302a8) of Arca~a. It is a commentary on Dharmakirti's Hetubindu.
Pramatta-vartika-yrtti (Tshad-ma mam'grel';g~'grel-pa, Tg mdo cviii 3. 137a8-266a6) of Ravigupta. 'It is an annotation on the Pramit)a-vartika of Dharmakirti.
Prama!la-vartika:irb, (Tshad-ma mam-'grel-gyi 'grel-bsad: Tg mdo
23
ciii.1-338a8) of Sa~karananda. It is an incomplete commentary on Dharmakirti's Pramana-vartika.
Dharma-dharmi-viniscaya (Chos dan chos-can gtan-Ia dbab-pa, Tg mdo cxii 25. 343b2-347b8) of Jitari.It is a treatise on the determination of
the quality and qualificand.
One Pramal)a-vidhvaqtsana-~ippitaka-vrtti(14) (Tshad-ma mam-par 'joms-pa mdor-bsad-pa'i 'grel, Tg mdo xxi 11. 398b4-401b8) is seen to have been translated into TIbetan. But names of the translators are not found. The work is attributed to Nagarjuna. It reproduced Nagarjuna's definition of the sixteen categories, PramaJ}a (tshad-ma), Gzhal-bya (prameya), etc.
III. Buddhist logic: Its study in different big monasteries
Monasteries regulated the educational world of TIbet. The Grand lamas
set the system of education, and curriculum in their respective monasteries. Even a single monastery is seen to follow different syllabus for its different schools (grva-tshan). Thus the schools had their own set of manuals and their own learned tradition.
In a big monaste~ there are five general subjects(l) taught, among which
Buddhist logic or rather specifically Rnam-'grel (Pram~a-vartika)(2) was
one.
The monastic history started with the foundation ofBsam-y~s. Though it became sacred with the touch of an eminent Buddhist logician Santara~ita who visited TIbet in c. 779 at the invitation of the TIbetan king Khri-sron lde'u-btsan (8th cen.), no detail of the study in it is known to us. However,
it continued still, enjoying wealthy patronage and regarded with respect by new generations of teachers, who nonetheless developed rather different
lines of thought, derived from their contacts with Indian masters and such TIbetan scholars as 'Brog-mi (993-1074) and Mar-pa (1012-97), who returned
24
,from study in India and Nepal. Groups of disciples gathered around these
new masters, and it was in their centres of teaching that the various
subsequent 'orders' of TIbetan Buddhism had their origin.
The first of the great new schools or' orders' was the Sa-skya-pa, which
takes its name from the monastery of Sa-skya, founded in 1073 by Dkon
mchog rgyal-po of the 'Khon family, who was a disciple of 'Brog-mi. A great scholar of this sect, who increased the fame of this school rapidly was Sa-skya-pa:r;t~ita Kun-dga' rgyal-mtshan (1182-1251). Sa-skya maintained a rich cultural tradition and prosperity in TIbet. Though an eccentric mysti
cal type of education was preferred, yet study of logic was also given much
importance. So far it is known that there is a set of manuals following the
ancient tradition of the Sa-skya-pa~~ita monastery.(3)
. Within a few centuries, a great change in the sectarial history of TIbet came about. In the 14th century Dge-Iugs-pa or Yellow sect emerged, and spread ail over TIbet. Gradually it became powerful with the relentless
. activities of the great reformist Tsoil-kha-pa Blo-bzail grags-pa (1357-1419)
Sectarial. This scholar himself wrote treatise on logic and extensive study
is seen in the monasteries of the Yellow sect.
There are four great monasteries of the Yellow sect, namely, Dga' -ldan,
'Bras-spuDS, Se-ra and Bkra-sis Ihun-po.
Dga' -ldan or rather fully Dga' -ldan rnam-par dge-ba'i glin was founded in 1409, by Tson-kha-pa. Itis about twenty-five miles east of Lhasa.
It had three school, namely, Byail-rtse, sar-rtse and mnal-ris. Byaii.-rtse school
followed the logical texts of Rje-btsun Chos-kyi rgyal-mtshan (1469-1544)
and Sar-rtse school followed the texts ofPa~-chen Bsod-nams grags-pa (1478-
1554).<4) In 1541, the second Dalai Lama Dge-'dun rgya-mtsho (1475-1542)
founded the Mila' -ris school of the Dga' -ldan monastery: This school fol
lowed the text-books written by Bstan-pa dar-bzan and Blo-gros sbas-pa, with some additional reading materials on this matte~ such as some writings on Rnam' -grel, by Gsati.-bdag sprul-sku 'Ol-kha rje-drun Blo-bzan phrin-
25
las. (5)
One of the greatest monasteries of TIbet is 'Bras-spuns. It was founded in 1414, by Rgyal-tshab Dar-ma rin-chen (1364-1432), one of the disciples of Tson-kha-pa. It is situated about three miles west of Lhasa. This monastery
has three schools, namel~ Blo-gsal-glin, Bkra-sis sgo-man and Bde-yans. Blo-gsal-glin school follows the logical texts(6) of PaI,l-chen Bsod-nams grags
pa. Bra-sis sgo-man school was founded by Kun-mkhyen 'Jam-dbyans bzhad-pa Nag-dban brtson-'grus (1648-1722) and follows the logical texts(7) of the founder himself. Apart from those, the school also teaches Nag-dban bkra-;is's Bsdus-grva(8) i.e. a compendium on logic. All Mongolia follows the tradition of the Bkra-sis sgo-man or rather simply sgo-man school. Bdeyans is a small school and follows the syllabus(9) of Site-than Rva-ba-stod
monastery:
Another great monastery of TIbet is Se-ra or rather Se-ra theg-chen
glin. It was founded in 1417, by Mkhas-grub Dge-Iegs dpal-bzan-po (1385-1438). It is situated about a mile and a half to the north of Lhasa. Se-ra has two schools, namel~ Se-ra-byes(lO) and Se-ra-smad(U). Se-ra-byes school follows the commentary on all the four chapters of Rnam-'grel, written by Rje-btsun-pa Chos-kyi rgyal-mtshan(12) (1469-1544). Se-ra-smad follows the texts of Mkhas-grub Bstan-dar.(t3)
Another great monastery and the seat of the Panchen Lamas is Bkra~is lhun-po. It was founded in 1447, by the first Dalai Lama Dge-' dun-grub (1391-1474), near the south bank of the Gtsan-po near Gzhis-ka-rtse. This monastery has three different schools, namel~ Thos-bsam-glin, Dkyil-khan and sOar-rtse. Thos-bsam-glin school follows the text-books written by the
following scholars: Pal)-chen Bsod-nams rnam-rgyal, Byan-ston Blo-gros rgyal-mtsho Kun-mkhyen Chos-'byor dpal-bzan, Saits-rgyas rgyal-po dpalldan rin-chen, Dri-med bses-gnen, Blo-bzan bses-gnen, Dge_i dunbsam-grub and Dge-' dun blo-bzan.(14) Dkyil-khan school follows the texts of Bstan-pa dar-bzan and Blo-gros sbas-pa (1400-1475).<15) Sar-rtse schoool follows the
26
texts of Kun-mkhyen Legs-pa don-grub.(16)
Extensive study on logic is carried on in the Sire-than Ra-va-stod mon
astery;,C17) Here the texts of Sails-pa kun-mkhyen Mchog-Iha 'od-zer (1429-
1500), Dkon-mchog chos-'phel(18) (1573-1646). Gra-chun-pa Yon-tan rgya
mtsho, Rje Ses-rab sen-ge, Glin-smad Nag-dban dpal-'byor and Dron-chen
Legs-pa bzan-po are followed.<19)
'Jam-dbyans bzhad-pa was a native of Amdo in eastern TIbet. He studied in
the Blo-gsal-gliIi. school of the 'Bras-spuns monastery. He founded the Sgo-man
school of the same monastery. But he dissented with his teachers, and retired to his
native country. He then founded a new monastery in Amdo, named Bla-bran Bkra
sis-'khyil. It became celebrated as a seat of profound learning and as the spiritual
metropolis of all Mongolia. An extensive culture of Buddhist logic is reported to
have been maintained in this monastery.
Buddhist logic was sincerely taught and studied also in Dag-po bsad
sgrub-glin in south TIbet.
Whatever that.is publicly interesting factor about logic lies in the
practical side of this subject. Public debate over different subjects was very
interesting in Tibet. Though the contents of Buddhist logic alone might
have been open to discussion, Vinaya, Madhyamika philosophy,
Prafniiparamitii, etc. were given equal importance to be and discussed in a
public debate. Hence all those met with a common characteristic of being
discussed publicly.
To study logic and participate in.a discussion was a part of the daily
routine of a monk in the great monsteries. We see that in the fourth assem
bly held about 3 p.m. in the Grand Lama's private monastery of Chapel
royal of Rnam-rgyal, or mount Potala, the junior or middle-grade monks
occassionally meet for a public wrangling on set themes to stimulate theological proficiency. In unreformed monasteries(20) or small monasteries,
27
importance is given to sermons and sacrifice for the monks.(21)
There is little doubt that public disputations made the subject much
more attractive than any other exercise regarding that for the students.
Indeed, the academic feature of the monastic universities of Tibet is perhaps
seen at its best in the prominence given to dialectics and disputations, thus following the speculative traditions of the earlier Indian Buddhists. That is why in the great monastic universities of Dga'-ldan, 'Bras-spuDS, Se-ra and
Bkra-sis lhun-po, each with a teeming population of monks ranging from
about 4,000 to 8,000, public disputations are regularly held, and form a rec
ognized institution, in which every divinity student or embryo lama must
take part. This exercise is called expressing /I the true and innermost essence
(of the doctrine)" (mtshan-nid), in which an endeavour is made to ascertain
both the literal sense and the spirit of the doctrine, and it is held within a barred court.
Within the court Chos-ra the disputations are held in seven grades
('dzin-grva) namely, 1) Kha-dog dkar-dma~ 2) Tshad-ma, 3) Phar-phyin, 4)
Mdzod, 5) 'Dul-ba, 6) Dbu-ma and 7) Bslab-bt~s. At· these disputations
there are tree-trunks, called the Sal-tree trunk (Sug-sdon), Lcan-ma sdon
po and yu-ba; and bounded by a wall, and inside the court is covered by
pebbles (rde'u). In the middle there is a great high stone seat for the lord
protector (Skyabs-mgon), and a smaller seat for the abbot (Mkhan-po of the
school, and one still smaller for the chief celebrant.
On reaching the enclosure, the auditors take their respective seats in
the seven grades in each of which discussions are held. One of the most
learned candidates volunteers for examination, or as it is called to be vow
keeper (Dam-bca') takes his seat in the middle, and the others sit round
him. Then the students stand up one by one, and dispute with him.
The scholar who stands up wears the yellow hat, and, clapping his hands together says, Ka-ye! and then puts his questions to the vow-keeper, who is questioned by every student who so desires; and if he succeeds in
28
any case, one is transferred to another grade after every three years.
After twenty-one years of age the rank of Dge-ses is obtained, though
some clever students may get it even at eleven. The abbot of the college
comes into the enclosure seven days every month, and supervises the dis
putations of the seven grades. When a candidate has reached the bslab
btus grade, he is certain soon to become a Dge-ses.
The great disputation, however, is held four times a yea~ in spring,
summe~ au tumn, and in winte~ in a great paved courtyard, and lasts for
five to seven days. On these occasions, all the scholars and abbots of the
. four schools of the colleges of 'Bras-spuns congregate there. And all the
learned students of the four schools who belong to the grade ofbslab-btus
volunteer for examination, and each is questioned by the students who ply
their questions, saying My Lama, "just like flies on meat". When the volun
tary examinee has successfully replied to all the questions he goes to the
abbot of his own school, and, presenting a silver coin and a scarf, he requests
permission to be examined on the Lhasa mass-day. If the abbot receives the
coin and scarf, then the application is approved, and if not, the student is
referred to his studies. In the great Lhasa mass-day all the monks of Dga' -
ldan, 'Bras-spuns, and Se-ra congregate, and examinations are held every
seventh day, and the Dge-ses of the three monasteries act as examiners. If
the volunteer can answer them all, then the Lord Protector throws a scarf
round his neck, and he thus receives the title of Dge-ses -somewhat equiva
lent to our Bachelor of Divinity.
The newly-fledged Dge-ses is nQw known as a Skya-ser-med-pa dge
ses. Then he must give soup (called Dge-ses thug-pa) to all the students of
his school and club, each student getting a cupful. The soup is made of rice,
mixed with meat and butter, and different kinds of fruits. Then the abbot of
the school and the Spyi-so of his club, and all his friends and relatives, each
gives him a Kha-gdags scarf and money as present.<22)
29
IV. Original TIbetan commentaries and independent treatises
When Buddhism in India proper had become extinct, an indigenous
independent production of works on logic by TIbetan monks gradually de
veloped and continued the Indian tradition. The original TIbetan literature
on logic begins in the 11 th century A.D. just a little before when Buddhism becomes extinct in northern India. Its history can be divided into two
periods, the old one, up to the time of Tson-kha-pa (1357-1419), and the
new one, after Tson-kha-pa.
The history of logic in TIbet is marked with the appearance of a famous
TIbetan interpreter Rma lo-tsa-ba Dge-ba'i blo-gros (1044-1089). He made
the logic into a system through teaching and study. This was the beginning
of the spread of the teaching of logIC, which became thus established in the
region of Dbus and Gtsan.(1} At this time there was a famous scholar named
Khyun-po grags-se(2) who composed numerous treatises on logic. They are
called the "Old Nyaya" (Tshad-ma min-rna). Apart from this, we do not get
any further information about the works of this great scholar. Khyun-po
seems to have been a contemporary of Po-to-pa Rin-chen-gsal (1031-1105).
Next comes the name of the great scholar-translator BIo-ldan ses-rab
who is reportedly to have written a short commentary on Pramana-vartika, , . named Ses-rab I grel-chun.'3)
Rgya-dmar-pa Byan-chub-grags (11-12th cen.) was a learned scholar in logic as well as a possessor of numerous Tantric secret precepts. He lived in Stod-Iuns and taught at Myan-ro and other monasteries.(4) He composed
an original TIbetan commentary on Pramat;.la-vinis·caya (Tshad-ma mam
nes) of DharmaIdrti (Chos-kyi grags-pa). He had many disciples(S) The
great logician Cha-ba Chos-kyi sen-ge was one of them.
At this time another TIbetan scholar named Smon-Iam tshul-khrims
(11-12 th cen.) of Zhari-gye is known to have written a commentary on
30
Prama~a-viniscaya.(6) He was the disciple of Khu Ser-brtson (1075-1124).
Cha-ba (/Phya-pa) Chos-kyi sen-ge(7) (1109-1169) studied under Byan
chub-grags the systems of Madhyamika and Nyaya (logic). Later, he be
came the abbot of the Gsan-phu ne'u-thog monastery for 18 years. Among
his numerous commentaries on different treatises(8), there was a commen
tary on Pramana-viniscaya. Cha-ba composed its abridgement also. He
composed an independent work on logic in mnemonic verse, named Tshadma'i bsdus-pa yid-kyi mun-sel(9) or "Abridgement of logic - disperser of
• darkness of mind", and an auto-commentary thereon. 'Gos lo-tsa-ba (1392-1481), a renowned TIbetan historian writes(IO): He (Gos lo-ts'a-ba) heard
about a Phyi-nan-gi grub-mtha' bsdus-pa or "Summary on the theories of
non-Buddhist and Buddhist" and about a Ses-bya gzhi-Ina'i bsad-pa or
"exposition of the five bases of the knowable" by him.(tl)
Cha-ba is the creator of a special TIbetan logical style on which some remarks will be made in the sequel,(12) He asserted that the absolute nega
tion of the reality of external objects represented the paramartha-satya which,
according to him, was the object of an approximate judgement determined by words and thought-constructions.(t3)
A large commentary on Pramat:ta-viniscaya was composed by Gtsan
nag-pa Brtson-'grus sen-ge (12th cen.). The commentator also composed a
number of text-books on Nyaya, Madhyamika and other subjects. His
numerous large and abridged commentaries on the Madhyamika follow the method of Candrakirti.(14) His exposition of logic was very popular in the monastery of Ron-wo/Reb-kot1, Amdo.(15)
Dan!bag-pa Smra-ba'i sen-ge (12th cen.) composed an independent
. treatise on logic. Bu-ston (1290-1365) mentions in his Tshad-ma rnam-par
nes-pa'i mtshan-don (The meaning of the term pramaI)a-viniscaya), one
Dan-'bag-pa Dar-mabkra-sis in the lineage of Pramal!a-viniscaya and most
probably Dar-ma bkra-sis is same and identical with Smra-ba'i sen-ge.
Anyway, 'Gos lo-tsa-ba says that he had seen other works composed by Dan!bag-pa except an "Abridgement of logic" (Tshad-ma'i bsdus-pa) by
31
him and a commentary on Anuttaratantra. 'Gos lo-tsa-ba is sure that Danbag-pa had composed many refutations of acarya Cha-ba's theory about
the endlessness of TIme and the infinity of atoms.(16)
The Classical TIbetan work of the 13th century has been produced by
the fifth grand lama of the Sa-skya monastery, the celebrated Sa-skya paJ}<;iita
Kun-dga' rgyal-mtshan (1182-1251). It is a short treatise(t7) in mnemonic
verse with the author's own commentary.(tS) Its title is Tshad-ma rigs-pa'i
gter (PramaJ:.la-yukti-nidhi). It was strongly critised by the late logicians of the Yellow SchooI.(19)
His pupil V-yug-pa Rigs-pa'i sen-ge(20) (13th cen.) composed a detailed
commentary on the whole of PramaI)a-vartika. This work is held in very
high esteem by the TIbetans. 'Gos lo-tsa-ba writes(2I): V-yug-pa [Bsod
nams sen-gel, the disciple of 'Jan-ba ston-skyabs heard (the exposition) of
Pramana-vartika from Sa-skya paI)-chen at Sa-skya. Thanks to his teach
ing, there appeared numerous disciples, including the great scholar Zhan
Mdo-sde-dpal and others. The spread of Pram al,la-vartika up to the present
time [i.e. 'Gos lo-tsa-ba's year of completion of his history book, 1478] is
due to Pan-chen and him. In my younger days [i.e. around first decade of
the 15th centmy] the inmates of Gsan-phu used to study Pramana-viniscaya,
but now-a-days they have changed over to PramaJ:.la-vartika.
At the velY time of V-yug-pa, another Tibetan scholar named 'Jam
dbyans gsar-ma(22) appears to have composed a commentary on PramaJ:.la
viniscnya.l 23)
An extensive commentary on Prama1)a-viniscaya was composed by
the famous historian and writer Bu-ston Rin-chen-grub (1290-1365). Its title
is Tshad-ma mam-par nes-pa'i !ik tshig-don rab-gsaJC2-l). Bu-ston also com
posed a small tract(25) on the meaning of the term prama~a-viniscaya.
MahapaJ:.l~ita Btsun-pa 'Jam-dbyans(26) ('Jam-pa'i dbyans), a disciple
of the famous scholar Bcom-ldan rigs-pa'i ral-' gri(27), became the court
chaplain (mchod-gnas) of Buyantu-qan (1311-1320), a Mongol prince. There
32
he wrote a short commentary on the Prama~a-vini;caya. (28)
. The last writer of this old period was Red-mda' -pa Gzhon-nu blo-gros
(1349-1412). He was the teacher of Tson-kha-pa and the author of an
independent worl<. on the general tendency of Dignaga's system.{Z9)
The literature of the new peirod can be divided into systematical works
and school manuals. We here shall try to concentrate in systematical works
only.
. The first writer of this period was Tson-kha-pa (1357-1419). He was
the greatest reformer of TIbet though himself wrote only a short introduction to the study of the Seven Treatises{30) of Dharmak1rti. The title of that work
is Sde-bdun-Ia 'jug~pa'i sgo don-gner yid-kyi mun-sel{31J.
Tson-kha-pa's three disciples Rgyal-tshab Dar-ma tin-chen (1364-1432),
Mkhas-grub Dge-Iegs dpal-bzaft-po (1385-1438) and Dge-'dun-grub (1391-
1474) surpassed their preceptor in writing on logic, since they composed
commentaries almost on every work of Dignaga and Dharmakfrti.
RgyaI-tshab composed ~etailed commentaries on Prama~a-vartika, Pramana-viniscaya, and Nyayabindu, all of Dharmahlrti and Pramal)a
samuccaya of Dignaga. Those bear the titles Tshad-ma mam-' grel-gyi tshig
Ie' ur byas-pa'i rnam-bsad thar-Iam phyin-ci ma-Iog-par gsal-bar byed-pa(32),
Bstan-bcos tshad-ma rnam-nes-kyi tik-chen dgons-pa rab-gsal,{33} Tshad-ma
rigs-thigs-kyi 'grel-pa legs-bsad snin-po'i gter34) and Tshad-ma mdo'i rnam
bsad(35) respectively.
Other important work of Rgyal-tshab is a commentary<36) on the treatise
Tshad-ma rigs-pa'i gter of Sa-skya paI).~lita. Its title is Tshad-ma rigs-gter
gyi rnam-bsad legs-par bsad-pa'i snin-po but generally known by its short
title Rigs-gter dar-tik. One summary<37) of Pr"ma~a-vartika and other small
related works(38) were also composed by him. Original treatises of Rgyal
tshab includes Tshad-ma'i lam-khrid(39) on Introduction to logic, 'Gal-'brel
gyi rnam-gzhag(40) on Separation and relation which are the important top
ics of discussion in Buddhist logic, and Phyogs-sgra Ijug-tshul nun-nu(41) on
33
the use of propositional word.
Mkhas*grub wrote a very detailed commentary on Pramal)a-vartika, with the sub-title Rig-pa'i rgya-mtsho(42). An annotative work on the Seven Treatises of Dharmakirti was another treatise composed by him. Its title is Tshad-ma sde-bdun-gyi rgyan yid-kyi mun-sel(43). His one independent
work, Tshad-'bras-kyi rnam-bad chen-motU) deals with the source of valid
knowledge and its effect.
Dge-' dun-grub was the first who acquired the post of religio-political 'supremacy in TIbet, i.e. he was the first Dalai Lama. He composed a commentary(45) on Prama!la-vartika in 1432. Tshad-ma rigs-rgyan(46) was an
independent work written by him in 1437.
Than bla-ma thor-god 'Jam-dbyans ses-rab sbyin-pa wrote two small works, one summary(47) of PramaJ).a-vartika and a commentary on inference for one's own sake(48).
Spyan-sna Blo-gros rgyal-mtshan, a close disciple of Mkhas-grub wrote a treatise named Tshad-ma rnam-'grel-Ia brten-pa'i lta-khrid(49).
Pal)-chen Bsod-nams grags-pa (1478-1554) wrote a commentary(50) on Pramana-vartika .
•
Padma dkar-po(51) (1527-1592), a giant figure of the TIbetan academic
world -wrote two works, one detailed and the other brief, on the contention
of Pramal)a-sam uccaya of Digmiga and Seven Treatises of Dharmakfrti. The titles of those two works are Tshad-ma mdo dan sde-bdun-gyi don gtan-Ia phab-pa'i bstan-bcos rje-btsun 'jam-pa'i dbyans-kyi dgons-rgyan(52) and Tshad-ma'i mdo sde-bdun dan bcas-pa'i spyi-don rigs-pa'i snin-po zhesbya-ba(53).
The celebrated grand lama 'Jam-dbyans-bzhad-pa Nag-dban brtson
'grus (1648-1722) was an extraordinary man to write a whole library of works on every department of Buddhist learning. He was a native of Amdo in
34
Eastern TIbet. He composed a commentary on Pramana-vartika . . Sum-pa mkhan-po Ye-ses dpal-'byor (1709-1786), a great historian, also
touched the subject with his Tshad-ma sde-bdun-gyi srun-nor dan grubmtha'i rnam-bzhag hun-' dus(54).
Klon-rdol bla-ma Nag-dbait blo-bzan (b. 1719) was an erudite scholar and writer of a number of important texts on different subjects. He wrote Tshad-ma rnam-' grel-sogs gtan-tshigs rig-pa-Ias byun-ba'i min-gi grans(SS) containing explanation of important technical terms in Pram~a-vartika and other treatises on logic.
The third Panchen Lama Blo-bzan dpal-Idan ye-s'es (1737-1780) was a renowned scholar who wrote a commentary(56) on Tshad-ma rigs-rgyan of Dge-' dun-grub. He also wrote a small tract(57) on Prani.a~a-vartika.
Rje smon-Iam dpal-ba [Blo-bzan sbyin-pa, b. 1820](58) composed a detailed commentary<59) on Prama~a-vartika.
Unabating culture of Buddhist logic or rather specifically the culture of Rnam-' grel (Pramc\J)a-vartika) is observed in TIbet. Stcherbatsky also did not have the different experience and that is why wrote liThe literary production in this field has never stopped and is going on up to the present time. The quantity of works printed in all the monastic printing offices of TIbet (and also Mongolia) is enormous."
V. Schools followed in Tibetan logical literature
Buddhist philosophy in India is broadly divided into four schools, namely, "Ma-dhyamika" - advocating the philosophy of voidness of everything. "Yogacara" - advocating the philosophy of voidness of only . . external things, "Sautnintika" - advocating the philosophy of inferable existence of external things, and ItVaibha~ika" - advocating the philosophy of perceivable existence of external things. The Indian logicians composed treatises following their respective philosophical lines they belonged to. Thus, we see the works of NagMjuna and others follow Madhyamika school;
35
·the works of Dignaga, Dharmakirti and others follow Yogacara school: the works of Sant~ra~ita, Kamalati.1a and others follow Sautrantika school and
the works of Subhagupta and others follow Vaibha~ika school.
The picture of the world oJ Tibetan logical literature IS different. Though translations of the Indian logical works of all the four schools are available in TIbetan, the subsequent TIbetan scholars followed only two systems among them, "Mcidhyamika" and "Yogadira". Madhyamika system in TIbet, as in India, flourished in a separate line of study. And yogacara
'system is kept up in TIbet through the study of Prama!'a-viniscaya (Rnamnes) and Prama.!'a-vartika (Rnam-' grel). Rnam-' grel(1} was later reckoned
as sole text under the subject called Buddhist logic or rather logic (tshadrna) in specific sense.
In the exposition of Rnam-' grel, there are different schools seen to have been followed by the TIbetan logicians. Mkhas-grub Dge-Iegs dpal-bzanpo belonged to the IIPhilological school" to which belonged the Indian , commentators Devendrabuddhi and SakyabuddhiP} Rgyal-tshab Dar-rna rin-chen belonged to the II Critical school" of Kashmir, to which belonged , the Indian commentator SatpkaranandaP} No continuation of IIReligious
school" of Bengal, to which belonged the Indian commentator Prajnakara
gupta and sub-commentators Ravigupta, Jina and Yamari, is seen in Tibet.(4)
VI. Importance of the Tibetan logical literature
TIbetan logical literature is as it comprises the translations of Indian works on logic on the one hand, and numerous original Tibetan commentaries mainly on Rnam-' grel (Pramana-vartika) on the othe~ with
I
also a very few independent treatises on the subject. Among these Rnam-'grel was so popular and pervading in Tibet that the majority of scholastic
brains were engaged in writing only lengthy commentaries on it. Hence Stcherbatsky writes:. "Substantially logic has hardly made any great progress in TIbet. Dharmakirti had given it its final form" ,(1)
Despite his statement like that Stcherbatsky did not fully deny the. credit of the Tibetan scholars in creation of some new ideas in logic.
36
Following is an instance:
Dharmakirti's "position in Tibet can be compared with the position of
Aristotle in European logic. The Tibetan logical literature will then be compared to the European mediaeval scholastic literature. Its chief preoccupation consisted in an extreme precision and scholastical subtlety of all definitions and in reducing every scientific thought to the three terms of a regular syllogism. The form of the propositions in which the syllogism can be expressed is irrelevant, important are only the three terms."
Adoption of a new method in syllogism may claim importance for the Tibetan logic. "The concatenation of thoughts in a discourse consists in sup
porting every syllogism by a further syllogism. The reason of the first syllogism becomes then the major term of the second one and so on , until the first principles are reached. The concatenation then receives the following form: If there is S there is P, because there is M; this is really so (Le. there is really M), because there is N; this again is really so because there is 0, and so on. Everyone of these reasons can be rejected by the opponent either as wrong or as uncertain. A special literary style has been created for the brief formulation of such a chain of reasoning, it is called the method of "sequence and reason" and its establishment is ascribed to the lama Cha-ba Chos-kyi sen-ge."(2)
Moreover, Tibetan logical literature highlights many philosophical problems in Tibet, which are no less interesting in the Indian context. For example: 'Jam-dbyans bzhad-pa's Blo-rigs contains a vivid picture df the controversies that raged in Tibet on the interesting problem of a gap between a simple reflex and a constructed mental image. (3)
Anyway, immense importance is given to the Tibetan logical literature for the very translation works where the best achievements of Indian philosophy in the golden age of Indian civilisation are faithfully preserved. Those translations are considered much more important for India than for Tibet. Study on those has revealed many things of the hidden treasure of Indian philosophy in many ways. In fact, we would have been in complete darkness for a glorious period of Buddhist scholasticism, if we would not get those translation works, the original treatises of which were lost due to various causes.
37
NOTES (Part One)
1. BL - I, pp. 1-13.
2. A Cultural History of Tibet, pp. 78-9.
3. BA, p. 70 . . 4. HB - I, pp. 44-46.
"The sciences of logic and of grammar (and literature) are studied in
order to vanquish one's adversaries in controversy. ...
" A Logician is to be recognized .................... .
by his disposition to argue, by analysis and discussion of matters,
by practice, obtained in former births, by non-perception of the Abso
lute Truth, and by having no recourse to scripture.
5. BL - I, p. 46.
1. Digmiga
-Dharmakirti
(Part Two)
: 400-480 (according to Nakamura), 480-540
(according to Frauwallner).
: c. 6S0 (according to Nakamura), 600-660
(according to Frauwallner) .
. Devendrabuddhi : 630-690 (according to Frauwallner). / . Sakyabuddhi
/
Subhagupta
: 660-720 (according to Frauwallner).
: 640-700 (according to Embar Krishna -
macharya), c. 6S0-7S0 (according to Nakamura).
Vinftadeva : Bth century.
linendrabuddhi : 8th century. 800-8S0 (according to Dinesh
Bhattacharya ). , Santara~ita : c. 680-740 (according to Nakamura), 70S-762
(according to Embar Krishnamacharya). But
Santara~ita's death appears to be still later
38
,,-Kamalasila
D harmottara
M uktakalasa
Arcata alias
because he was reportedly present in the great debate
held at Bsam-yas monastery of Tibet about 792 A.D ..
: c. 700-750 (according to Nakamura), 713-763 onwards
(according to EmbarKrishnamacharya). But his death
appears to be still later, because he skillfull¥ defended the
moralistic view e~presed by his preceptor Santara~iti1 in
the great debate in Tibet.
: 730-800 (according to Nakamura), 750-810 (accordu
Frauwallner).
: After 900 (according to Satish C. Vidyabhusan).
Dharmakaradatta: 730-790 (according to Frauwallner). 6 J.",
PraJnakaragupta : early 10th century (according to Dinesh Bhattacharya).
Jitari
Jina
Ravigupta
Ratnavajra
JniInasrimitra
: c. 940-980'(according to Nakamura).
: 940 (according to Satish C. Vidyabhusan).
: After 950.
: 983 (according to Satish C. Vidyabhusan).
: Between 975-1000 (according to Nakamura), 982-1055
(according to Dinesh Bhattacharya).
Jiiifnasrlbhadra : c. 925 (according to Nakamura).
Ratnakarasanti : 1040 (according to Nakamura).
Yamari : 1050 (according to Sat ish C. Vidyabhusan).
Sa~kaninanda : 1050 (according to Satish C. Vidyabhusan).
Mok~akaragupta : Between 1050-1202 ((lccording to Nakamura).
2. Later translation was done by Rnog lo-tsa-ba with the help of the I n d ian
pandita Sumatikirti.
3. BA, p. 70.
39
4. This was subsequently twice translated, first by Bhavyaraja and
Blo-Idan ses-rab (1059-1109), and finally by Sakyasrlbhadra
(1127-1225) and Sa-skya pal!~ita Kun-dga' rgyal-mtshan
(1181-1250).
5. Colophon of the Tibetan text shows that Dipankara (982-1054) and the Tibetan
interpreter Dar-ma-grags corrected the translation. By this, it is supposed that
by 1054, the translation of this difficult text was already completed when Rma
lo-tsa-ba did not even cross the age of 10 years.
6. According to Taranatha (HOB, p.239), the story goes regarding the composition
ofPrama~a-vartika-paiijilcit: Dharmakirti chose Devendrabuddhi to write a com
mentary on his Pramarya-vartika. After Devendrabuddhi had finished the com
mentary for the first time and had shown it to Dharmaklrti, the latter erased it
with water. After he had compiled it a second time, Dharmakfrti burnt it in fire.
He then compiled it a third time and gave it to Dharmakirti with the observation
"Since the majority of the people are incompetent and time is fleeting, I have
written this commentary for the people of lighter understanding." This time
Dharmakirti allowed the work to exist.
7. BA, p. 70.
8. BA, p. 326.
9. Later, the work was retranslated by 'Phags-pa ~es-rab with the help of Kumarasri
of J<ashmir.
Before the translation of Rnog-Io-tsa-ba, one famous Zans-dkar lo-tsa-ba
translated Pramana-vartika-alamkara. [See BA, p. 70] . .
10. Sanskrit manuscripts of 12 works of Jnanasrlmitra have been discovered by
Rahul Samkrityayan from Tibet. Apart from Karyakaranasiddhi, the rest are:
~a~abhangadhyaya, Vyapticarca, Bhedabhedaparik~a, Anupalabdhirahasya,
Sarvas'abdabhava-carca, Apohaprakaral)a, is~aravada, Yoginirpayaprakaral)a,
Advaitabindu prakaral)a, Sakarasiddhisastra and Siikarasarp.grahasutra ..
40
11. There was one Drpaqtkarara~ita in the 11th century. He was well-known by
the names Bal~po thugs-rje chen-po or Pa~-chen me-tsa lhi-pa. Going to TIbet
he bestowed Yoga to Zans-dkar lo-tsa-ba. Then that Lo-tsa-ba translated the
commentary of Anuttarayoga (Yo-ga-smad) .. Dipal1)karara~ita was also the
teacher of R va lo-tsa-ba.
[Indian and Tibetan Scholars who visited Tibet and India from the 7th to the
17th century A.D.]
12. The Kashmirian pandita S:ikya~rfbhadra (1127-1225) went to madhyadesa and ~
received upasampada from Sabtyakaragupta in 1156. [KLT, p. 174]
13. The translators are not found in Thnjur. But Rahulji mentions Dpal-brtsegs and
Prajnavarman as its translators in his Pramana-vartika-bh~ya (p'l!a).
14. It is same with Vaidalya-siitra and Prakarana. The Vaidalya-prakarana is evidently . . spurious. [BL - I, pp. 28, 559]
. (part Three)
1. Dbu-ma (Mdhyamika philosophy), Phar-phyin (1Son-kha-pa's commentary on
Ser-phyin i.e. Prajnaparamitii), (Dul-bal Vinaya), Mnon-mdzod (AbhidhannakoSa
of Vas ubandhu) and Rnam-'grel (Pramapa-vartika of Dhannaki"rti).
2. Buddhist logic in Tibet, in one way, means nothing but thestudyofa logbl text
of Dharmakirti, named PramaV8vartika which, in TIbetan, is called 1khad-ma
rnam-'grel or more briefly Rnam-'grel.
3. BL - I, p. 56.
4. MHTL-I1I, p. 671. See the syllabus of DkYil-khan school of 8kra-sis Ihun-po.
5. Same as that were taught in Blo-gsal-gJin school of 'Bras-spuDs monastery.
We see that Dga' -Idan 'nag-ron sar-rtse school published one exposition of all
41
, '
the four chapters of Rnam-'grel, having 117 fols., 50 fols., 113 fols., and 52
fols. consecutively. See MHTL - III, p. 671.
6. Bsod-grags's exposition of Rnam-'grel contains 117 fols., 115 fols., 42 fols.,
and 84 fols. for the four consecutive chapters. Besides, two other texts of the
same author, one B1o-rig (for the excersise of intellect) and one Rtags-rig (for
the proper understanding of inferential signs) were also taught. See MHTL -
III, p. 668.
7. 'Jam-dbyans bzhad-pa's Exposition of Rnam-'grel contains 268 fols. for the
first chapter and 107 fols. for the second chapter. Blo-rig (25 fols.) and Rtags
rig (45 fols.) also were included in the syllabus. See MHTL - III, p. 669-70.
8. This Bsdus-grava contains 135 fols. See MHTL - III, p. 669.
9. See later, for the syllabus ofSn~-than Rva-ba-stod monastery.
10. Byes means 'abroad, foreign country'. Many of the monks in the Se-ra-byes
school were from Mongolia or territories of Greater Tibet like Khams and Amdo.
[MHTL - III, p. 13]
11. Full name of this school is Se-ra smad thos-bsam nor-bu glin.
12. Rje-btsun-pa Chos-kyi rgyal-mtshan became head of the Se-ra-byes school in
1511. In 1537 he became Mkhan-po ofSe-ra.
13. This information is supplied by my Venerable teacher Acarya Padma brtson
'grus, now the Tibetan teacher of Calcutta University.
14. "Thos-bsam-glin pal).-chen bsod-nams rnam-rgyal-gyirnam-'grelle'tl bzhi'i spyi
don dan mtha'-gcod.
Thos-glin byan-ston blo-gros rgya-mtsho'i rnam-'grellta-ba'i me-Ion dan le'u
dan-po'i mtha'-dpyod legs-bsad 'phren-ba.
Thos-glin kun-mkhyen chos- 'byor dpal-bzan-gi rnam-'grel mkhas-pa'i mgul-
42
rgyan dan mtha' -good. Thos-glin sans-rgyal dpal-rin-gyi rnam-' grel rin-chen
gter-mdzod.
Thos-glin dri-med bs~s-gnen-gyj rnam-' grel yid-bzhin nor-bu.
Thos-glin blo-bzan bS'es-g~en-gyi rig-rgyan.
Thos-glin dge-'dun bsam-'grub-kyi blo-gros kha-byan.
Thos-gliIl'dge-'dun blo-bzan-gis le'u-bzhi'i mtha' -good."
[MHTL - III, p. 664]
15. "Rnam-'grel smon-!ik.
Astan-pa dar-bzan-gi rnam-'grellun-rig gter mdzod. 'Dul-'dzin blo-gros sbas
pas mdzad-pa'i le'u dan-poi'mtha'-good klag-pas don-'grub.
Le'u gnis-pa'i mtha'-good nor-bu'i 'phren-ba yin. Des mdzad-pa'i spyir yig
cha man.
B lo-gros sbas-pa 'i rnam-' grelle'u bzhi-ka'i spyi-don."
[MHTL - III, p. 664]
16. "Sar-rtse kun-mkhyen Jegs:pa don-grub-kyi rnam-'grel."
[MHTL - III, !'. 665]
17. It is situated in Sne-than, near Lhasa. This monastery is also called Stag-tshan
Rva-ba-stod.
1 H. He recieved upasampadcl under Dpal- 'byor rgya-mtsho in 1593, became the
judge of philosophical debate (,chad-nan-pa) in the Rva-ba-stod monastery in
1602, became Head of the Rgyud-stod monastery in 1612, became Head of the
Rin-chen-glin in 1613, hecame Head of the Gsan-phu in 1619, became Head of
the Rdzin-phyi in 1620, became Mkhan-po of BJo-g~al-glin in 1623, became
Head (3:-th) ufthe Dga'-Idan in 1626 and het:ame the preceptor of the Dalai
Lama in 1627.
19. "Sans-pa kun-mkhycn mchog-Iha 'od-zer-gyis md7..<ld-pa 'j rnam- 'grelle'u dan
po 'j nor-bu' i phrl'n-ba. (IO() f(lls.) l£u gnis-pa 'j lugs- 'byu'n rin-chen ban-mdzod.
43
(33 fols.) Lugs-Idog legs-bsad ban-mdzod. (23 fols.) Le'u gsum-pa lun-rig
sgo-brgya. (113 fols.) Le'u bzhi-pa thar-lam gsal-ba'i dgons-rgyan. (76 fols.)
Dkon-mchogchos-'phel rnam-'grelle'u so-so'i zur-bkol no-mtshar gees bsdus.
Le'u dan-po'i sbyor-!ik.
Gra-chun-ba yon-tan rgya-mtshos mdzad-pa'i mam-'grel ni-ma'i
'od-zer le'u bzhi tshan-ma.
Rje Ses-rab sen-ge'i gsun-bzhin zin-bris mdzad-pa'i mam-'grel
thar-Iam gsal-byed hi-ma'i 'od-zer Ie'u bzhi tshan-ma.
Glin-smad nag-dban dpal-'byor-gyi rtags-rig gsal-ba'i me-Ion.
(24 fols.)
Drun-chen legs-pa bzan-po'i blo-rig. (30 fols.)"
--The above complete set of logical texts is called Rva-ba-stod
bsdus-grva. One such set is being preserved in Bkra-~is sgo-man
school of the 'Bras-spun monastery.
[MHTL - III, p. 665]
20. No sects appear to have existed prior to Glan-dar-ma's persecution, nor
till more than a century and a helf later. The sectarian movement seems to date
from the Reformation started by the Indian Buddhist monk At/sa, who, as we
have seen, visited Tibet in 1042 AD.
Ati~a while clinging to Yoga and Tantrism, at once began a reformation on the lines of the purer Mahayana system, by enforcing celibacy and high morali~ and by deprecating the general practice of the diabolic arts. Perhaps the time was now ripe for the reform, as the Lamas had become a large and influential bod~ and possessed a fairly full and
scholarly translation of the bulky Mahayana Canon and its commen
taries, which taught a doctrine different from that then practised in Tibet.
The first of the reformed sects and the one with which Atisa most intimately identified himself was called the Bka'-gdams-pa, or "those
44
bound by the orders (Commandments),,; and it ultimately, three and a
half centuries late~ in Tson-kha-pa's hands, became less ascetic and
more highly ritualistic under the title of "The Virtuous Style", Dge
lugs-pa, now the dominant sect in TIbet, and the Established Church of
Lamaism.
The rise of the Bka' -gdams-pa (Dge-Iugs-pa) sect was soon followed by the semi-reformed movements of Bka' -brgyud-pa and Sa-skya-pa, which were directly based in great measure on Atisa's teaching. The
founders of these two sects had been his pupils, and their new sects
may be regarded as semi-reformations adapted for those individuals
who found his high standard too irksome, and too free from their
familiar demoRolatry;
The residue who ren,ained wholly unreformed and weakened by the loss of their best members, were now called the Rtlin-ma-pa or "the Old one", or "Unreformed", as they adhered to the old practices.
[BLT, pp. 54-56J
21. BLT, pp. 212-221.
22. BLT, pp. 184-5.
(Part Four)
1. BA, p. 70.
2. Perhaps he has been called also by the name of Kbyun-po grags-pa.
See BA, p. 93.
"Though there exists an account that KbYU11-po grags-se had studied
the 'Old Nyaya', and had left behind numerous disciples, it is not sure
whether the 'Old Nyaya', which had been studied by him, had not
originated from Khams and Mila' -ris, from a translation of Devendrabuddhi's commentary by Rma Io-tsa-ba."
[BA, p. 71J
45
3. BA, p. 698.
4. BA, p. 332.
5. Other disciples were tHe great pandita Cog-ro Chos-kyi rgyal-mtshan,
Dpal Phag-mo gru-pa, 'Bal Tshad-ma-pa, Skyil-mkhar lha-khan-pa,
Dus-gsum mkhyen-pa.
[BA, p. 332]
6. BA, p. 331.
7. Most of the Pitakadhara-s of that time had been his disciples. Gtsan
nag-pa Brtson-' grus sen-ge, Dan~ag-pa Smra-ba'isen-ge (Dan~bag, near
'Bras-spun.s), Bru-sa Bsod-nams seti.-ge (Bru-s'a, Gilgit), Rma-bya Rtsod
pa'j sen-ge (Rma-bya, near Sa-skya), Rtsags Dban~phyug sen-ge, Myan
bran Chos-kyi sen-ge, Ldan-ma Dkon-mchog sen-ge and Gh~ll-pa Yon
tan sen-ge - the "Eight mighty lions" (Sen-chen brgyad). Some include
(among them) Gtsan-pa iJam-dpal sen-ge. 'Khon Jo-sras Rtse-mq,Rllog Jo-sras Ra-mo, Khu Jo-sras Ne-tso, Gnos Jo-sras Dpal-le - these four
were called "The Four Jo-sras". 'Gar Dbah-grub, Kon-po 'Jag-churl,
Lho-pa Sgog-z,an and Bar-pu-pa - these four were called "The Four
Wise Ones" (Ses-rab-can bzhi). Further 'Jan-pa Ston-skyabs, Rdo-rje
'od-zer and others. Dus-gsum mkhyen-pa, Zhan 'Tshal-pa, as well as
many others.
[BA, p. 333]
8. Commentaries on the Five Treatises of Maitreya, Satyadvaya
vibhangakcirika, Madhyama.kalaqtkarakiirika, Bodhisattvacaryava tara
and other texts, as well as respective abridgements of them were com
posed by Cha-ba.
[BA, p. 332]
9. Roerich informs: There exist several well-known texts of th«same title
written by various authors, but the text by Cha-ba is not extant at present.
[See BA, p. 333]
46
10. BA, p. 333.
11. BA, p. 334. He wrote many refutations of the works of acarya
Candrakirti the celebrated commentator on Mulamadhyamakakirika
of Nagiirjuna.
12. BL, p. 55.
13. BA, p. 349.
14, BA, po 334.
15. Here Roerich informs: There exists a printed edition of his work
Ron-wo. See BA, p. 334.
16. BA, p. 334.
17. A xylograph copy of it is in the possession of the writer of the present
article. It contains 47 fols. of small format. It is divided into 11 chap
ters. Those are the following; 1) Yul brtag-pa, 2bl-5a4 (Vi~aya-parl~a),
2) Blo-brtag-pa, 5a4-7bl (Buddhi-pari~a), 3) Spyi dan bye-brag brtag
pa, 7b1-9al (Samanya-vise~a-pari~a),4) Sgrub-pa dan gzhan-sel brtagpa, 9al-13bl (Sadhana-anyapoha-parlJ.q;a), 5) Brjod-bya dan rjod-byed
brtag-pa, 13bl-15b6 (Vacya-vacaka-pari~a), 6) 'Brel-pa brtag-pa, 15b6-
21a3 (Sambandha-parlk$a), 7) 'Gal-ba brtag-pa, 21a3-23bl (Virodha
parlJ.q;ii), 8) Mtshan-rrld brtag-pa, 23bl-29a2 (L~a~a-pari~a), 9) Mflon
sum brtag-pa, 29a2-32b3 (Pratyalq;a-pari~a), 10) Ran-don rjes-dpag
brtag-pa, 32b4-40b5 (Svarthanumana-pariJ.q;a), and 11) Gzhan-don rjes
su dpag-pa brtag-pa, 40b5-45b2 (Pararth~mumana-parlJ.q;a).
18. A xylograph copy of it is in the possession of the writer of the present
article. Its title is Tshad-ma rigs-pa'i gter-kyi Iegs-b~ad bzan-po gsum
Idan ces-bya-ba (Pramana-yukti-nidhi-subhasita-bhadraka-tritayi-# '
nama) and contains 161 fols. of medium format.
19. BA, pp. 808-9.
20. Though the name of the scholar U-yug-pa Rigs-pa'i sen-ge is clearly
mentioned by Stcherbatsky in his Buddhist Logic (Vol. I, p. 56), the
47
verification of the Blue Annals (p. 335) confirms the name of the scholar
as U-yug-pa Bsod-nams sen-ge.
21. BA, p. 335.
22. One of his disciples was Kun-mkhyen Chos-sku ' od-zer. 'Jam-dbyans
gsar-ma founded a school at Skyan~' dur which had many monks. He
in his later life founded a philosophical school. See BA, p. 335.
23. BA, p. 336.
24. The work consists of 301 folios and is included in the 24th (Ya) volume
of the Collected Works of Bu-ston (Dalai Lama XIII's edition).
25. Tshad-ma mam-par nes-pa'i tshan-don (5 fols.). It is included in the 24th (Ya) volume of the Collected Works of Bu-ston (Dalai Lama XIII's edition).
26. He was the first scholar who felt the necessity of collecting the transla
tions of the Indian texts and worked successfully. See BA, p. 338.
27. Rig-ral, a native of Pu-thait became a monk in the monastery of Mchod
rten dkar-mo of Bsam-yas. He was an opponent of the Kalacakra system which he considered to be a non-Buddhist system. Another famous opponent was Red-mda' -pa. See BA, pp. 336-9.
28. BA, pp. 335-6.
29. BL,' p. 56.
30. Pramana-vartika (Tshad-ma mam-' grel), Pramana-viniscaya (Tshad-ma
rnam-nes), Nyayabindu (Rig's-thigs), Sambandha-parik§a ('Brel-pa
rtags-pa), Vadanyaya (Rtsod-pa rigs-pa), Santanantara-siddhi (Rgyudgzhan grub-pa) and Hetubindu (Gtan-tshigs thigs-pa).
31. It contains 25 fols. and is included in the 18th (Tsha) volume of the
Collected Works of Tson-kha-pa (Bkra-sis lhun-po edition.).
32. It contains 408 fols. and is included in the 6th (Cha) volume of the
Collected Works of his preceptor Tson-kha-pa. Short title of the work is
48
Rnam-'grel thar-Iam gsal-byed. Author composed it at the request of
Gnas-ntm-pa Rin-chen rgyal-mtshan. (See NL TIb. ms. No. 74)
33. It has two volumes, upper and lower. Upper vol. (307 fols.) is included
in the 7th ija) volume of the Collected Works of the authOl: . Lower vol.
(260 fols.) is included in the next volume of the Collected Works. (Bkrasis Ihun-po edition). This was written at the inspiration of 'Bron-rtse
lha-btsun. Short title of the work is Rnam-nes Dgons-pa rab-gsal.
34. It contains 63 fols. and is included in the 8th (N-a) volume of the Col
lected Works of Tson-kha-pa. It was written at the inspiration of 'Bron
rtse lha-btsun. Klon-rdol bla-ma mentions the text with a different sub
title Rin-chen gter-mdzod. For the last information see MHTL-III, p.
618.
35. See NL TIb. ms. No. 59/3. Klon-rdol mentions the text with the sub
title Mthar-' dzin gdun-sel. See MHTL-III, p. 618.
36. See BL - II, P. 325.
'Brel-pa rtag-pa'i mam-bs~d 'ni-ma'i snin-po (14 fols.): A text on
Sambandha-pari~a of DharmaIdrti. See NL TIb. ms. No. 25/8.
37. Rnam-' grel-gyi bsdus-don thar-Iam-gyi de-nid gsal-byed (92 fols.). See
NL TIb. ms. No. 25/5 .. (1) Same with the text Lha-dban-blo'i rjes-su
'bran-pa'i mam-' grel-gyi sa-bcad chen-mo, as mentioned by Klon-rdol bla-ma. See MHIL-ill, p. 618.(38)
38. Tshad-ma'i brjed-byan chen-mo (47 folSo.), Tshad-ma mnon-sum le'ill
brjed-byan chen-po (55 fols.), Tshad -ma mnon-sum le'u'i ~kka (102
fols.), as mentioned by KlOil-rdol. See MHrL-ill, 'p. 617. For the first
text mentioned above (containing 43 fols.) see NL TIb. ms. No. 59/4.
39~ tilt contains 22 fols. See NL TIb. ms. No. 25/9. Tshad-ma lam-sgrig is . mentioned by Klon-rdol. See MHfL-ill, p. 618.
40. It contains 10 fols. See NL TIb. ms. No. 25/10.
41. Mentioned by Klon-rdol. See MHTL-ill,p. 618.
49
42. Ka -(1st chapter: Ran-don) Rgyas-pa'i bstan-bcos tshad-ma rnam-' grel
gyi rgya-cher bsad-pa rig-pa'i rgya-mtsho las ran-don le'u'i mam-bs'ad.
177 fols. Kha (2nd chapter: Tshad-magrub-pa) Le'u gnis-pa rgya-cher
bsad-pa rig-pa'j rgya-mtsho.· 94 fols- Ga (3rd chapter: MDon-sum) Rgya-• I' pa'i ... Ias mnon-sum le'u'i mam-bsad. 195 fols. Na (4th chapter: Gzhan-
don) Rgyas-pa'i ... las gzhan-don le'u'i mam-bsad. 119 fols.
(One bundle. Bkra-sis I hun-po edition) See NL TIb. ms. No. 52. A~other edition of this Tshad-ma rig-pa'i rgya-mtsho is also available in CU. S.
C. Das Collection (TM No. 460/2-4).
43. It contains 192 fols. See NL TIb. ms. No. 27/3. Another edition of it also
is available in 238 fols.
44. See MHTL-III, p. 619.
45. (Ka: 1st chapter) Tshad-ma rnam-' grel legs-par bsad-pa zhes-bya-ba thams-cad mkhyen-pa dge-' dun-grub-kyis mdzad-pa las ran-don rjessu dpag-pa'i le'u/i rnam-bsad. 42 fols., (Kha: 2nd chapter) Tshad-ma
... las tshad-ma grub-pa/i le'u/i ... 36 fols., (Ga: 3rd chapter) Tshad-ma ...
las mnon-sum le'u'i ... 64 fols. and (Na: 4th chapter) Tshad-ma ... las I
gzhan-don rjes-dpag-gi mam-bsad. 46 fols. See NL TIb. ms. No. 48.
Perhaps another edition of the above text is also available since Klon-• rdol shows the text as containing 230 fols. and being in the 4th (Na)
volume of the Collected Works of the author. See MHfL-III, p. 622.
46. It contains 170 fols. and is included in the 4th volume of the Collected
Works of the autho~ according to Klon-rdol. See MHTL-nI, p. 622. A
copy of the text is preserved in the CU. S. C. Das Collection (TM No.
327).
47. Tshad-ma rnam-/grel mdor-bsdus (25 fols.). See MHTL-III, p.637.
48. Tshad-ma gzhan-med-kyi rnam-gzhag (23 fols.). See MHTL-III, p. 638.
49. See MHTL-III, p. 641.
50
50. It contains 360 fols. See MHTL-llI,p. 629.
51. Year of birth is well-known. Year of death is taken from an article liThe
Buddhist Paintings and Iconography" - J. K. Rechung, published in Bul
letin of TIbetolog~ New Series, 1990, Nos. 1-3.
52. It contains 94 fols. and comprises the 5th book of the 4th volume I
Collected Works of the author. See CU. S. C. Das Collection (Tlvl 266/5). "
53. It contains 39 fols. and comprises the 6th book of the 4th volume of tll· Collected \!\brks of the authrn;. See CU. S.c. Das Collection (IM No. 'JfJ616 !
54. It contains 29 fols. and is included in the 2nd (Kha) volume of the C l'i
lected Works of the author.
55. It contains 27 fols. and comprises the 14th (Pha) :volume of the Collected Works of the author.
56. Rnam-'grel rig-rgyan mchod-brjod !ikka (107 fols.). See MHfL..ID, p. 657.
57. It contains 6 fols. See CU. S. C. Das Collection (IM No. 332/7).
58. From the autobiography called Dkyil-zur dka' -chen blo-bzan sbyin
pa'i spyod-tshul drait-po'i gtam-gyis gsal-bar brjod-pa rin-chen dban
gi rgyal-po'i do-sal (NL TIb. ms. No. 100/8), it is known that the author wrote it in 1891 at the age of 71. The year of birth of the authpr, then, can easily be calculated to be 1820. He wrote the biography of the fourth Panchen Lama in 1883. See TIbetan Historical Literature, p. 197.
59. Rje smon-Iam dpal-bas mdzad-pa'i le'u dan-po'i ~kka (Ka, 1st chapte~ 116 fols.); Le'u gnis-pa'i !Jkka (Kha, 2nd chapter, 68 fols.); Le'u gsum
pa'i tikka (Ga, 3rd chapte~ 124 fols.) and Le'u bzhi-pa'i ~kka rNa, 4th
chapter, 103 fols.). See CU S. C. Das Collection (1M No. 3;40/1-4).
51
(Part Five)
1. The extraordinary predominance given to this work, is noteworthy. It
is alone studied by everybody. Dharmakirti's other works, as well as
the works of Dignaga, Dharmottara and other celebrated authors, are
given much less attention and are even half forgotten by the majority of
the learned lamas. The reason for that, according to Mr. Vostrikov, is
the second chapter, in the traditional order of the chapters of Pramana
vartika, the chapter containing the vindication of Buddhism as a religion.
The interest of the TIbetans in logic is, indeed, chiefly religious; logic is
for them ancilla religionis. Dharmakirti's' logic is an excellent weapon
for a critical and dialectical destruction of all beliefs unwarranted by
experience, but the second chapter of the Pramana-vartika leaves a loop
hole for the establishment of a critically purified belief in the existence
of an Absolute and Omniscient Being. All other works of Dharmakirti,
as well as the works of Vasubandhu, Dignaga and Dharmottara incline
to a critically agnostic view in regard of an Omniscient Being identified
with Buddha. BL-I, pp. 57-8.
2. BL:I, p. 46.
3. BL-I, p. 46.
4. BL-I, p. 47.
(Part Six)
1. BL-I, p. 58.
2. BL-I, p. 58.
3. BL-II, p. 313.
52
APPENDIX (Original Tibetan commentaries produced in Mongolia)
1. Bicigeci chos-rje Nag-dban tshe-rin of Urga (1) wrote his works in fourteen volumes (Ka-Pha). The 400 folios of the 13th (Pa) volume are solely dedicated to the exposition on the three chapters of Pramana
vartika .. Its title is Tshad-ma rnam-'grel-gyi 'grel-ba rigs.;pa'i bal
mdzod ces-pa las le'u dan-po ran-don le'u'i mam-bsad (202 fols.), ...
Le'u'i gnis-pa'i mam-bsad (148 fols.) and ... Le'u'i gsum-pa'i mam
bsad rtsom-'phro (incomplete) (50 fols.).
2. Bstan-dar Iha-rams-pa (b. 1758) of the Alashan (2) -Olots is variously referred to as Smon-lam rab-'byams-pa Nag-dban bstan-d~ Smon
lam bla-ma, Alasa Iha-rams-pa Nag-dban bstan-da~ A-lag-sa Bstan
dar Iha-rams-pa and Nag-dban bstan-dar Iha-rams-pa. He was eighty
years of age when he published his TIbetan Mongolian Dictionary (139
fols.) in 1838 A.D. So his date of birth can be reckoned to 1758 A.D. In
1839 A.D. at the age of 81 he wrote a work on Blo-sbyon which confirms
this date. His sumbum was xylographed at Kumbum. Each of the 3 works is indicated by a letter of the alphabet (Ka-chi).
Ga) Dmigs-pa brtag-pa'i 'gtel-ba mu-tig 'phren-mdzad (21 fols.) [Exposition of Alambana-pariksa of Dignaga]
(Na) Chos-kyi grags-pas mdzad-pa'i rgyud-gzhan grub-pa zhes-bya-ba'i
bstan-bcos-kyi 'grel-pa mkhas-pa'i yid-'phrog (21 fols.) [Exposition
of Santanantarasiddhi of Dharmakirti]
(Ki) Rnam-' grel rtsom-'phro (24 fols.) [An incomplete commentary on Pramana-vartika ]
1. Urga had three famous schools, each specialising in a particular curriculum or yig-cha and each situated in a different direction North Bkra-sis chos-'phel Sgo-man yig-cha South Kun-dga' chos-glin Blo-gsal-glin yig-cha West Yig-dga chos-' dzin Ser-byas yig-cha
2. South-Mongolian dialect: Alarsan (Heissig, Blockdrucke, p. 164 n 4). [MHTL-ll, p. 21-2]
53
3. [Blo-bzan] 'jigs-med bstan-pa'i rgyal-mtshan (19th cen.) was the nom
un qan of Cin sujugtu in Sayin noyan qan. His eight-volume sum bum
(Collected Works) was xylographed in the Urga qosirun. The sixth
volume contains the [Exposition of] Nyayabindu (31 fols.) with other
philosophical works.
4. Mkhas-pa'i dban-po slob-dpon Bsod-nams rgya-mtsho came from the
Sayin noyan qan qosirun. He was famous for his grammatical
erudition. Seven volumes of his sumbum were xylographed in his qosirun and the eighth volume was handwritten.
Unxylographed last volume (Na) contains an exposition of Pramanavartika
54
Abbreviations
BA (The) BlueAnnals.
BL Buddhist Logic
BLT Buddhism and Lamaism of Tibet.
CU Calcutta University
HB History of Buddhism.
HOB Taranatha's History of Buddhism in India.
KLT Bstan-rtsis kun-las btus-pa
MHTL: Materials for the History of Tibetan Literature
NL National Library, Calcutta.
Bibliography
(The) Blue Annals. G.N. Roerich. Molilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1988.
Bstan-rtsis kun-Ias btus-pa. Tshe-brtan zhabs-drun. Mtsho-snon mi-rigs dpe
skrun-khan. China.
Buddhism and Lamaism of Tibet. L. A. Waddell. Asian Publishers.
Buddhist Logic. Vols. I & II. Th. Stcherbatsky: Dover Publications.
(A) Cultural History of Tibet. David Snellgrove and Hugh Richardson.
Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1968.
(A) History of Indian Logic. S.c. Vidyabhusana. Motilal Banarsidass,
Delhi, 1978.
55
History of Buddhism. Bu-ston. 2 vols. Tr . from Tibetan by D. E.
Obermiller. Heidelberg, 1931-32.
Indian and TIbetan Scholars who visited TIbet and India from the 7th to
the 17th century A.D. TIbetan Educational Printing Press, Kashmir House,
Dharmasala, Kangra (H.P.), 1968.
Materials for the Hjistory of TIbetan Literature. 3 vols. L. Chandra. Delhi. (Satapitaka Series Vol. Nos. 28-30).
Tanjur. Ed. A. Chattopadhyaya. Eastern Books, Calcutta, 1983.
Taranatha's History of Buddhism in India. Tr. from TIbetan by Lama
Chimpa & Alaka
Chattopadhyaya. Ed. by D.P. Chattopadhyaya. K.P.
Bagchi & Compan~ Clacutta, 1980.
TIbetan Historical Literature. A. I. Vostrikov. Tr. from Russian by H.C.·
Gupta. Indian Studies, Calcutta, 1970.
• I
TournaI: BulletinofTIbetology. New Series, 1990,.Nos~ 1-3. SRIT, Gangtok,
India.
56
NOTES AND TOPICS
NOTE ON THE BIOGRAPHY OF LHA-BTSUN NAM-MKHA' 'JIGS-MED (1597-1650 A.D.)
THE PATRON SAINT OF SIKKIM
- Dr. Rigzin Ngodub Dokham
Lha-bTsun Nam-mKha' 'Jigs-Med is famed to have embodied in his person, the spiritual essence of the Indian Pandita Vimalamitra and the TIbetan Master kLong-chen rab-/byams (1308-1363 A.D.). He was born towards the southern end of byar-Yul in the family of Lha-btsed-po in the tenth sexagenary cycle (Rab-byung) of the fire-bird year of the TIbetan Calendar corresponding to 1507 A.D. He took his ordination as a celibate monk at the monastery of gsung-snyak Ri-khrod by virtue of which he was given the name Kun-bzang rnam-rgyal and studied Thong-hborg under the tutelage of illustrious masters Prul-sku U-rGyan dpal-hbyor. He undertook monastic studies at the feet of erudite scholars from a period of seventeen years in the course of which he comprehended the crux of all the doctrines and understood th"e essential nature of all external and mundane phenomena as illusory and void.
Thereafte~ with the cardinal objective to practice and gain experience on the basis of his accumulated learning, he went on pilgrimage to every sacrosanct and holy place in India and TIbet and mastered the esoteric wisdom. On attaining the age of fifty summers, the Teachers Rig-hzin hja-chon snying-po and gTer-chen bdud-hdul rdo":rJe prophetically entreated him that the appropriate time to visit hBras-mo ljongs, the hidden land of Guru Padmasambhava had arrived. Accordingl~ he started his sojourn from SamYas and made his debut in hBras-lJongs from the northern point of Tsod-Ia. He discovered the hidden treasure of Rig-hzin srog-sgrub at B!ag-dkar bkrashis-sdings and disseminated the doctrine amongst those who deserved to inherit it. Next, guided by an intuitive flask and inner vision, he discovered
57
from the northernly cave called Lha-ri snying-phug, the hidden teasure entitled rDo-rJe snying-po sprin-gyi tho-glu.
He played pivotal role in establishing monasteries and stupas in the land and in widely disseminating the doctrine of Great ferfection, rZogsChen Ati-Yoga. His teachings gained so much curency and popularity among the masses that his followers came to be known as Zogs-chen-Pa. Using the earth and stones collected from all the quarters of the land, he along with other contemporary Yogins materialized the Stupa or mChodrten called bKa-shis hot-hbar at Yuksam. These ¥ogins also performed the
I
coronation of the fist ever ruler ofhBas-Mo-IJongs, Phun-tshogs rnam-rgyal at Yuksam thus heralding a new epoch in the history of the land.
The hermitage established by this great anchorite at Yuksam known by the name of Bag-tog-gdon was perhaps the first Buddhist establishment founded in hBras-IJongs. Th.e great monasteries of Dubsde, gSang-snag chod-gling etc founded by him speak volumes about the devout and indefatigable zeal of this great visionary.
After fifty eight years of mortal existence, he summoned his disciples and addressed them thus: "Do not grieve for I am destined to depart from the world of mortal beings at this age. Even then, you have with you the great doctrines of Rig-hzin srog-sgrub and Rdo-rje snying-po and also my chief disciple Rig-hzin lhun-sgrub to guide you. However, if you insist that I should. reincarnate again to come amongst you, look for me in the vall~y of Bumthang." With these words, he passed away. This occured in a place known as bLon-chen gangs-kyi ra-wa. Miraculously, his body soon diminished into a diminutive size which 'further dissolved and metamorphosed into holy relics. In t~e course of time, his disciples searched for his reincarnation and discovered him at Bumthang where he was known by the name Mi-skyod rdo-rje. He died at a tender age and was born again as the famed Lha-btsun 'jigs-med dpa' -boo In his fourth reincarnation, he was named as Kun-bzang 'jigs-med rgya-mtsho. Thus, the seen and unseen manifestations of Lha-btsun nam-mkha' 'jigs-med have been instrumental in the introduction and propagation of the great wisdom of rZogs chen-po n hBras-Mo-IJongs.
58
RULES FOR SUBMISSION OF RESEARCH AND POPULAR PAPERS FOR PUBLICATION IN THE BULLETIN OF TIBETOLOGY
1. The Bulletin of TIbetology welcomes articles and research paper in English and Tibetan, Hindi, Buddist contributions in Sikkim, Religion, Philosophy, Literature, History, Art, Iconogaphy, and Cultural aspel...~s of Tibet and adjacent countries, comparative religion etc., SanskI-itTibetan texts and vice-versa.
2. The articles should be neatly typed with double space.
3. The articles and papers should be substantiated with references books or other documents.
4. Short bio-data of the author sh.ould accompany the articles.
5. Views expressed in the Bulletin of Tibetology are those of the Contibutors and not of the Sikkim Research Institute of TIbetology. An article represents the private individual views of Author and does not reflect those of any office or Institution with which the author may be associated. The editors are the publishers of the articles(s); Copy right of an article belongs to the author unless otherwise indicated.
6. Five issues of Bulletin of TIbetology will be sent as complimentary to each contributor. Additional copies of the Bulletin will be sent on payment of the prescribed rate plus adequate postal charges.
Annual subscription of the Bulletin of TIbetology is Rs. 50/- plus extra postage.
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9. All correspondence may be made and subscription may be sent by Bank-draft drawn in favor of:-
The chief Editor, Director Bulletin of Tibetology
Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology Gangtok -737101, Sikkim
59
PROCLAMATION OF COPYRIGHT SIKKIM RESEARCH INSTITUTE
OF TIBETOLOGY, GANGTOK.
Vth Dalai Lama Ngag-Dbang Blo-Bzang Rgya-Mtsho's Sungbum/ Collected Works (External and Internal Teachings) 25 Volumes are published by Sikkim Research Institute of TIbetology (SRIT). But, nowhere in these volumes copyright mark is recorded, although the original copies in 25 Volumes of Xy~ograph were photo-mechanically reproduced from Sikkim Research Institute of TIbetology's priced collection.
It is hereby proclaimed that any person or Agency without the permission of SRIT authority found reproducing or selling these volumes,
a stringent legal action will be taken against him/ Agency.
It may be mentioned here that for earlier Tibetan xylograph reproduction of Rinchen Terzod, Kadam Phacho and Kadam Bucho the copyright of SRIT was recorded.
Director
Sikkim R£search Institute of Tibetology,
Gangtok
60
BOOK REVIE\V
].K. Rechung(ed): Richardson Paper. Contributed to the Bulletin ofTIbetology (1965-1992) by Hugh Richardson. Gangtok (Sikkim Research Institu te of TIbe~ology), 1993. xii + 169 pp.
Hugh E. Richardson spent a total of nine years at the British, later Indian mission at Lhasa. No Westerner has ever spent a longer period at Lhasa, and certainly non'e has a more intimate knowledge of life in Central Tibet before the Chinese occupation.
The Bulletin ofTIbetology was launched in 1964 by the Namgyal Institute of TIbetology (since 1975 known as the Sikkim Research Institute ofTIbetology). Si nee 1965,Richardson has been a regular contributor to this journal. In the pre~< nt volume, these papers, totalling eighteen, are conveniently brought together. They form an impressive contribution to the study of the history, ancient a~ well as modern, of Tibet. As the Bulletin of TIbetology is not always available in libraries in the West, this volume (only marred by the curious singular form "Paper" in the title) is most welcome, and is at the same time a tribute to the still active dean of Tibetan studies in the West. The usefulness of the volume is increased by an updated, complete bibliography of H.E. Richardson's publications.
courtesy': University of Oslo
Bulletin of Tibetology: aspects 'of classical Tibetan medicine, special volume of '993, Gangtok, Sikkim,Research Institute of Tibetology, 1993, pp. xii, 128., Rs. 245
In this special issue of the Bulletin of 1ibetology Marianne Winder has edited the proceedings of a symposium held at the Welcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London, on 18 April 1986. As pointed out by Rechung Rinpoche in the preface, the volume is dedicated in honour of the late Terry Clifford's life work by Arthur Mandelbaum, has been uninten~ tionally omitted and will appear in the February 1995 issue of the Bulletin of TIbetology. Winder's 'General Introduction' (pp.i-ii) is followed by Clifford's own contribution, 'TIbetan psychiatry and mental health' (pp.3-14).This is a study of three chapters (pp. 77 -9) devoted to demonic possession, madness and epilepsy, from the third of the rGyud bzhi, the "Four Treatises" which are the foundation of TIbetan medicine. The author argues that TIbetan psychiatry is a complete tradition of a etiology, diagnosis and treatment, as
61
well as a holistic system related to the Buddhist doctrine.
The second paper, 'Diagnosis and therapy according to the rGyud-bzi' (pp. 17-35), by Elizabeth Finckh, deals with 180 terms found in chapters 4 and 5 of the first of the "Four Treatises" concerning diagnosis (obselVation, feeling the pulse and questioning) and therapy (nutrition,behaviour and medicaments). This traditional classification is illustrated in two painted scrolls appended to Ronald Emmerick's paper in the same volume (pIs ES 12-3).
In'Past, present and future life in Tibetan medicine' (ppA0-52), Trogawa Rincpoche discusses chapters 2 and 7 of the second of the rGyud bzhi, dealing :with death and birth: presages of on-coming death, the intermediate experience between death and rebirth known as bar-do, and physica1.and environmental circumstances conditioning birth. The author closely relates medical notions to the Buddhist doctrine, and defines TIbetan medicine as "an interrelated combination of philosophy and practice" (pAl). When speaking of conception, T/ogawa accepts the Western biological notion of the union of semen and ovum (pA8), which, as pointed out by Nawang Dakpa in his papet; 'Certain problems of embryology according to the TIbetan medical tradition' (pp. 82-95), is unknown to traditional TIbetan medicine (p.84). Nawang Dakpa deals with some points of embryology according to the Vaidury sl1gon-po ('Blue Bery!'), the famous commentary to the rGylld bzhi, written in 1678-1688 by the great scholar and lay reg.ent of TIbet. Sangs-rgyas-rgya-mtsho. The whole process of conception and birth is conveniently illustrated by two of the twelve black-and-white plates appended to Emmerick's paper (ES16).
Emmerick,s contribution. 'Some Tibetan medical tanks' (pp.56-78), is a detailed analysis of sixteen painted scrolls photographed during the author's visit to the Medical and Astrological College of Lhasa in 1983.Emmerick has compared these pictures with relevant TIbetan medical iconographic sources published up to 1988. The paintings belong to a series of seventy-nine scrolls, the earliest set of which was commissioned by Sangsrgyas-rgya-mtsho to illustrate his Vaidury sngol1-po. Although a set has been recently published by Serindia in Tibetan medical paintings (by Y Parfionovitch, G Dorje and F Meyer, London, 1992), Emmerick's contribution is interesting in as much as it shows variants between paintings
62
belonging to different sets, both in the iconography and iI1 the captions.
A place apart is occupied by Charles Bawden's paper. 'Written and printed sources for the study of Mongolian medicine' (pp. 100-25), where the author, besides classifying the literature on the subject, attempts to assess the bearing which the TIbetan medical tradition had upon Mongolian medicine. Biographical notes on the contributors are appended to the volume (pp.126-8).
It is pity that the publication of these proceedings should have been delayed for so many years and followed that of TIbetan medical paintings, which have provi~ed so much new info11llation, especially concerning the TIbetan materia medica. In spite of this handicap, Aspects of classical TIbetan medicine is a useful contribution to the history of TIbetan medicine and shows that the only possible approach to such a complicated topic is the close collaboration of Western and TIbetan physicians, linguists and historians.
Erberto Lo Due, Centro Piemontese di Studi suI Medio ed Fstremo Oriente (Cesmeo), Turin
Courtesy: MEDICAL mSTORY, nm WELLCOME INSTITUI'E FOR 11fE
mSTORY OF MEDICINE, LONDON
63
SIKKIM RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TIBETOLOGY GANGTOK: SIKKIM
PUBUCATION OF BOOKS ,
The following is a complete list of books published from 1961 to 1993. Full list of SRIT publications is available from SRIT office.
In view of price hike in the printing and stationery cost, the following revision were made in the prices of publication with effed from 1st May, 1993 subjed to further revision in course of time.
A nnual subscription rate of "Bulletin of Tibetology: has also been revised from Rs. 30/- to Rs 50/- within India, Bhutan and Nepal per ahnum plus extra postage charges.
Subscription rate for other countries has also been revised from US $ 30/- to US $ 50/- per annum inclusive of air postage charge. Rs. 1. Arya Bhadrachari Pranidhanaraja, Prayer Book, Sanskrit
-Tibetan. Ed. by Suniti K Pathak, 1961 20.00
2. Pajna. Lexicon/Dictionery of Sanskitl -Tibetan Thesaurus-cum..grammer, 1961 150.00
3. Prajna (xylograph), 1962 200.00
4. RGYAN-DRUG-MCHOG-GNYIS,Art Book, 1962. Reprint 1972 and 2nd print 1986 Silk Binding Paper binding 300.00
5. Aya Samantabhadracaryatika o(Lcanskya Khutukhtu
Lalitvaja's commentary in Tebetan. 1963 35.00
6. Vimsatika Vijnaptlmatata Siddhlh of\Uubandhu (4th-5th CenturyA.d.), 1964 50.00
7. . Tantric DoctIne according to Nylngmapa School of 'TIbetan Buddhism, 1976. Reprint 1993 20.00
8. A short account of monastic life of Dodrup (Golok). Khri1so (Derge) and Hyibuk (Tsang) by Ven. Dodrrupchen
Rinpoche, Ven. Khenpo lodo Zangpo and Ven. J.Ngawang Rinpoche 20.00
9. So-sor-thar-pa'i-mdol-rnam-bshad: Thar-lam-bzang-p01 them-skad, The Vinaya text, 1979 35.00
10. The ALAMBANA PARIKS A OF ACARRY A DIGNAGA by Naiyaswami Sastri, 1980 50.00
11. _ Aspec1s of Buddhism, Silber Jubille Commemoation Volume, 1981 150.00
12. SANOS ROYAS SID NO, an introduction to Tibetan scroll portrrai1s, 1989 250.00
13. TALES THE THAN KAS TELL, an introduction to Tebetan seoll portrai1s, 1989 250.00
14. SAKYA KABUM CATALOGUE, Sakyapa Catalolgue Serlel Vol. 1. 1090 250.00
15. DAMNGAG MDZOD CATALOGUE Rinchen Bumzang, Kagyudpa Catalogue Series Vol. 1 . 1990 250.00
16. RICHARDSON PAPERS by H.E. Richardson, 1993 H.B. 275 PB 245.00
17. Aspects of ClassicaJ'TIbetan Medicine-special Volume of Bulletin, 1993. 245.00
18. KADAM PHACHO (part I, II & III) H.B. per Vol 275.00
P.B. perVol.150 245.00
19. KADAM BUCHO (Part I & II) Part 225.00
20. RINCHF."I"fERZOD (Part Ka. Kha. Ga and Nga) H.B" per vol. PB 450.00
21. HU-LAN-Deb-THER, RED ANNAL (libetan text), 1961 35.00
22. Enthronment of H.H. The XIVth Dalai Lama (libetan text) 50.00
23. Thigle Shijin (libetantext) 1985 30.00
24. Gso-dpyad-rgyal-pol-dkor-mdzod (lib.text) 'TIbetan Medicine, 1966 150.00
